Princess vs Celebrity?

[Brookefairway]

Was considering a princess cruise in a suite. How does [princess compare to the Celebrity cruise line re Food..service  entertainment..?  Just off Celebrity. food was ok but not top notch (dinner) and entertainment so so..Please let me know your thooughts we are adult cruisers 

[Luckiestmanonearth]

My precious Princess experiences go back some time but at that time food was good and entertainment was very good.  We especially liked the London Pub night but I’ve heard they may have gotten rid of these (which is a shame).  Going to try Princess again in Jan 2022

 

We travelled on Celebrity Edge last March (just before Covid) and absolutely loved it.  Food was fabulous and shows were OK.  I liked their live music choices around the ship .  
 

Either way you go will be a good choice
 

We have Platinum on Carnival but now that we’re older , we’re discovering a much nicer cruise experience exists on Celebrity and Princess 

[4cats4me]

We’ve always experienced great service on both lines, and at one time, Celebrity’s food was better than Princess, in my opinion,  but that is no longer true, unless you’re comparing Luminae on X to regular food in the MDR on Princess. .  Just disembarked the Majestic Princess last week.  and the food in the main dining room beat the quality of AQ (Blu) dining on X

Entertainment options are usually plentiful on Princess compared to X, but during this return to cruising, options are more limited than usual on Princess due to the health measures that are being implemented, so no karaoke contests, no daily dance lessons, no passenger/cruise staff dance contests, events that would draw larger crowds, basically.  

 

Royal-Class Princess ships are comparable to Celebrity’s Solstice-Class.

Millennium Class ships are more similar to Grand-Class on Princess.   

 

You mention you're considering a suite on Princess.  Not sure if you’re also looking for a comparison between full suites on each cruise line or if you are considering a mini suite of Princess.   On X , you have a butler in full suites.  Not true on Princess.   If I’m a Club Class mini or full suite you will dine in a special section of the MDR, unlike X, where you have your own restaurant, Luminae.    

 

Service: It’s been very good on both lines, but on Princess, this last cruise, it was exceptionally good.  

Bar service has always been better on Princess, unlike X, where we could never find a person to order a drink from while outside by the pool.  After X went the all-inclusive route a few years ago, we noticed a decline in drink service.   

 

Edited September 12, 2021 by 4cats4me

[capriccio]

OP - don't know if you saw this recent thread (August 31) discussing suites on both lines:

 

 

[Bruin Steve]

3 hours ago, Brookefairway said:

Was considering a princess cruise in a suite. How does [princess compare to the Celebrity cruise line re Food...service  entertainment..?  Just off Celebrity. food was ok but not top notch (dinner) and entertainment so so...Please let me know your thoughts we are adult cruisers 

First off, I am Platinum on Princess, Elite Plus on Celebrity...My last cruise (actually back-to-back) was in a Sky Suite on Celebrity Apex four weeks ago...My next-to-last Princess cruise (Pre-pandemic) was in a "Club Class" Mini-Suite...I'll try to answer best I can, but realize many things are subjective and people's opinions can differ greatly.

 

Food and Service:  I have always been of the opinion that Celebrity's food, overall, is superior...but there is nothing objectionable about Princess's...I've enjoyed meals on both...That said, for SUITE restaurants, Princess comes nowhere close to Celebrity.  Celebrity's Luminae is incredible...Princess' Club Class is really just a slightly enhanced menu within a cordoned off section of the MDR.  Service in Luminae is outstanding...though service in Club Class is definitely a step up from Princess' MDR service--which I've always found a little bit lacking. 

 

Another note which needs comment:  On Celebrity, we really enjoyed the Retreat Lounge--a bar reserved for Suite guests only where the service was without compare.  Princess has nothing to compare.  Also, Celebrity has great butlers for added service to your suite.  Princess has nothing of the sort.

 

Entertainment:  It's all subjective and subject to personal taste...but, IMHO,  Celebrity's "production shows" are superior, Princess GENERALLY gets the edge on comedians/magicians.  But ANY cruise entertainment really depends on who they've booked and varies ship to ship and show to show.  Where Celebrity does have a MAJOR edge is in the showroom itself.  Celebrity ships' showrooms are ample for the number of guests onboard.  Princess' are far too small--often seating less than one third of the ship's capacity.  The result is that you have to show up WAY early to get a seat on Princess.  On Celebrity, there never seems to be a problem with finding a seat for a show, no matter when you show up..

 

But, all in all, I never choose for any of those particular reasons...I'll go on either line if the itinerary, the dates and the pricing fits my needs and desires.  Either will give you a nice cruise vacation.   

[nini]

Princess and Celebrity comparison threads are fairly common on this Princess Board.

1. We were able to closely compare the two in 2018.

2. Our loyalty for sure now is with Princess.

3. Celebrity has a very snooty/ snobby atmosphere. Some posters have actually admitted to it having an obvious Class System.

4. For us, the food and service was SO MUCH better on Princess.

5. Celebrity entertainment was boring and repetitive- every show had air acrobatics in it.

 

@4cats4me offered some good points, especially about the bar service. Getting bar service on the Celebrity Reflection was quite the joke! And if you did find a bartender, they will snootily tell you that your "Beverage Package" only can get you two white wines on the menu! NOT TRUE WITH PRINCESS WHERE MOST WHITES BY THE GLASS ARE INCLUDED.😃

 

 

I could go into more detail, but I will leave it here.

[Steelers36]

My take from reading a lot of threads on this comparison - and not having been on Celebrity in recent years and so things have changed SO much to have a relevant experience - is that if one tends to book top-end staterooms, then Celebrity is the way to go.  If you book Insides or Balconies like we would, then Princess is likely the best choice as avoids the class distinction issue and seems like most feel the MDR and food experience is better.  I wouldn't object to trying Celebrity again but we are happy on Princess.

 

[vjmatty]

My last cruise was actually my first Celebrity cruise, on Equinox in 2019, after mostly sailing Princess and Cunard over the past 15 years.  I did not find a whole lot of difference from Princess, and it really didn't feel much like a new cruise line for me, other than having no loyally status.  Still there were a few differences I can remember, good and bad, as follows-

 

I found that Celebrity did better in general with food.... especially for special diets like vegetarian and gluten free. There was a separate vegetarian menu with multiple choices instead of just one option for dinner each night.  The buffet entrees all had a key, listing if the item was vegetarian, vegan, gluten free, sugar free, etc.  I also prefer Celebrity's balcony cabins... Princess no longer has places to sit in the cabin except on the bed or balcony, and the bathrooms in Celebrity have nice touches like a step in the shower for shaving and a nightlight to help you find the bathroom at night.  I find the toiletries in Celebrity are also better quality and the showers are larger.

 

There was a time I would have said Princess has a better loyalty benefit program, but that is being chipped away and I am not sure how the two lines compare anymore in that area.

 

Some things I missed from Princess on Celebrity, there is no laundry room so you are forced to either pack more clothes or use ship's laundry, which I generally do not trust as they tend to shrink my clothes.  Packing more can also be a problem, because Celebrity doesn't have those giant open closets that Princess has.

 

As for entertainment, both lines were similar with events like trivia and themed dance nights such as ABBA night, but theater shows I can't say much as we didn't see many.  I feel like Celebrity may have more bars but it is hard to say since we spent so much time at this cool martini bar, where the bar top was frozen to keep your drinks cold.

 

Like I said, I don't think most Princess passengers would notice a lot of differences, it really depends on what matters to you.  In my case I think in the future we maybe sailing Celebrity more for US-based cruises, because Princess doesn't serve the northeast as well and it is easier not to fly these days.

 

 

[stevenr597]

To be honest when we go Celebrity we choose Aqua Class, and when we go Princess we book Club Class. 

With that being said, the two lines are fairly similar.  I would regard both of them as being Premium or Upscale which would also include Holland America.  Both have great entertainment and beautiful ships.  I don't believe that you can't go wrong with either one. 

[Ken the cruiser]

I’ll keep it simple, we are in our late 60s and enjoy both cruise lines very much but for different reasons. If we just want to go on a 2-3 week cruise to have fun and are not too concerned about the itinerary, then we’ll book a cruise with Celebrity in either a sky suite, Aqua or sunset veranda depending on price. We’ve been in a SS on two cruises, both 21 days in length, and loved eating in Luminae. However, we really could care less about having a butler.
 

Now if we want to go on a 3-5 week cruise to some exotic places like Easter Island, Tahiti or the Med, then Princess is our GoTo cruise line. We booked a 25 day cruise in an aft-facing Penthouse suite and loved eating breakfast every morning in Sabatinis! However, if we’re not in a suite, we usually book a Club Class mini suite as we enjoy the anytime dining and the little extra attention we get in the Club Class section. But again, if we book a Princess cruise, it’s all about the extended itinerary.

 

As far as entertainment goes, both lines usually have 4-6 assistant CDs which means there is always something to do in the evenings and on sea days.

Edited September 13, 2021 by Ken the cruiser

[nini]

Per @vjmatty  "I also prefer Celebrity's balcony cabins... Princess no longer has places to sit in the cabin except on the bed or balcony"

 

This is not really true. On the newer ships, each balcony we book on Princess has a loveseat. We are careful when booking our balconies, so they are one of the larger ones and have decent deck furniture.

[4cats4me]

33 minutes ago, nini said:

Per @vjmatty  "I also prefer Celebrity's balcony cabins... Princess no longer has places to sit in the cabin except on the bed or balcony"

 

This is not really true. On the newer ships, each balcony we book on Princess has a loveseat. We are careful when booking our balconies, so they are one of the larger ones and have decent deck furniture.

Agreed.   I love the balcony deluxe category since it has a nice little seating area which is perfect for relaxing. Had a huge balcony two weeks ago, obstructed balcony deluxe.   

[KeepCalmBearOn]

On 9/12/2021 at 10:46 AM, 4cats4me said:

We’ve always experienced great service on both lines, and at one time, Celebrity’s food was better than Princess, in my opinion,  but that is no longer true, unless you’re comparing Luminae on X to regular food in the MDR on Princess.

 

20 hours ago, Bruin Steve said:

First off, I am Platinum on Princess, Elite Plus on Celebrity...My last cruise (actually back-to-back) was in a Sky Suite on Celebrity Apex four weeks ago...My next-to-last Princess cruise (Pre-pandemic) was in a "Club Class" Mini-Suite...I'll try to answer best I can, but realize many things are subjective and people's opinions can differ greatly.

 

I'll defer to 4cats and Steve on this as their experiences on Celebrity are more recent, but it seems to me unless you book a top tier cabin on Celebrity and Princess, they are very similar, with Celebrity winning in the top tier battle.

 

Food is one of the most important factors for me on a cruise, entertainment (shows) is a nice, but not a deal breaker or maker.

[Tedferg]

We had one cruise on Celebrity and enjoyed it, liked the theater and large MDR. Tiered pricing for drinks package was irritating. Main think for us is that Celebrity did not have a main 'Hub' like Princess Piazza. Celebrity felt 'broken up'.

[nini]

6 hours ago, Tedferg said:

We had one cruise on Celebrity and enjoyed it, liked the theater and large MDR. Tiered pricing for drinks package was irritating. Main think for us is that Celebrity did not have a main 'Hub' like Princess Piazza. Celebrity felt 'broken up'.

Thank you for mentioning this! We felt so closed in on the Celebrity Reflection ( dark and claustrophobic)  and really missed the beautiful open atriums on Princess.

[Tedferg]

54 minutes ago, nini said:

Thank you for mentioning this! We felt so closed in on the Celebrity Reflection ( dark and claustrophobic)  and really missed the beautiful open atriums on Princess.

We were on the Reflection. I understand a preference for Celebrity cabins. Th loveseat is nice. We felt the main area where on Princess we would be at Crooners or Piazza ground floor 'people watching' was dark and uninviting. 

[geoherb]

My last Celebrity cruise was lackluster. The food was not as good as on Princess, and I had a couple of bad experiences with service. 

 

If I were going to spend the amount of money it takes for a suite on either line, though, I would consider upgrading to one of the luxury cruise lines with smaller ships--Viking Ocean Cruises, Silversea, Regent Seven Seas, or Oceania.

[nini]

1 hour ago, geoherb said:

My last Celebrity cruise was lackluster. The food was not as good as on Princess, and I had a couple of bad experiences with service. 

 

If I were going to spend the amount of money it takes for a suite on either line, though, I would consider upgrading to one of the luxury cruise lines with smaller ships--Viking Ocean Cruises, Silversea, Regent Seven Seas, or Oceania.

This is a good point. I have a friend who swears by Viking Ocean. However, we have not convinced ourselves to spend the fares that are charged. Also, the financial terms are not as agreeable for us.

[vjmatty]

15 hours ago, nini said:

Per @vjmatty  "I also prefer Celebrity's balcony cabins... Princess no longer has places to sit in the cabin except on the bed or balcony"

 

This is not really true. On the newer ships, each balcony we book on Princess has a loveseat. We are careful when booking our balconies, so they are one of the larger ones and have decent deck furniture.

Guess I don’t think having someplace to sit should be considered a deluxe feature…it’s really more of a standard offering in the most basic balcony rooms among most cruise lines. Even insides and ocean views are often better furnished. 

[mcrcruiser]

For us we now sail Princess because   Celebrity rarely sails from  southern California ports  . We are  only Ruby so far on Princess & Elite + on Celebrity ;but ,we longer fly . We can het Princess with a 1,5 hour drive &  Holland  America ,we love the  most has sailings from our local San  Diego port

 

 Food is always subjective . Entertainment .we prefer Princess   

[roxievegas]

We have only sailed on Celebrity and Princess.  If price were not a consideration, I would go Celebrity.  But we are now retired, no longer wish to fly to ports and going out of southern California, we will go Princess.  Princess is equal to Celebrity in many ways, but Celebrity is costly

 

[gmjc2]

We were on Celebrity Millennium in June. We were unable to go to the shows because they had cancelled the early performance as there were only 498 passengers on board. We are early to bed ( or at least cabin) cruisers. We were very upset about that.

Food was good for the most part. Buffet was not self service but as we were almost always the only diners present it was not an issue. One thing we were not happy about was the lack of social distancing in the MDR! The tables were all together in a cluster with half the dinning room empty. We insisted on being given a table away from all the others. The way it should have been for all!

Hopefully the situation will improve soon but it is not guaranteed!

We are on Sky Princess for a TA in Nov so hoping for a better experience. It is only our 3 rd Princess but we have sailed on many Celebrity cruises as we are Elite. 

[Moonarino]

On 9/12/2021 at 6:45 PM, vjmatty said:

... Princess no longer has places to sit in the cabin except on the bed or balcony...

 

... on Celebrity, there is no laundry room so you are forced to either pack more clothes or use ship's laundry, which I generally do not trust as they tend to shrink my clothes. ... Celebrity doesn't have those giant open closets that Princess has.

 

Nowhere to sit in the cabin is Bad especially if one has a bad back/hip like me and it's very hard to get comfortable sitting on a bed for long. Princess, please rethink this?

 

On the plus side for Princess, I've always loved having a laundry room on cruises over 7-8 days. Like you I don't trust the (overpriced) ship services.

_______

 

But I'm mostly just watching this thread, with only 1 cruise on Celebrity 10 years ago (but Apex coming in November) and still waiting to sail on Princess. Mega-thanks to all for your inputs of course.

Edited September 14, 2021 by Moonarino

[nini]

10 minutes ago, Moonarino said:

Nowhere to sit in the cabin is Bad especially if one has a bad back/hip like me and it's very hard to get comfortable sitting on a bed for long. Princess, please rethink this?

 

On the plus side for Princess, I've always loved having a laundry room on cruises over 7-8 days. Like you I don't trust the (overpriced) ship services.

 

As has been discussed, Princess has many cabins WITH loveseats. Just book a cabin with one.

[gmjc2]

P.S.  Forgot that we wish Celebrity had self-service laundry

        Hoping that Princess has better free choices for ice cream. Our Island P experience in 2010 was only soft serve with no toppings allowed unless you paid. Celebrity had a great ice cream  bar on the buffet.