Princess vs Celebrity?

[Moonarino]

3 hours ago, AstoriaPreppy said:

Speaking from experience, Princess tends to be much more "traditional" than Celebrity.  Formal nights that still feel formal, champagne waterfalls, balloon drops, etc. The food is good, but very straightforward. Entertainment is also very traditional. The styling of the ships is also more traditional: lots of brass and marble and wood. The one non-traditional aspect of Princess is Ocean Medallion, which is a truly astounding implementation of technology. 

Celebrity has a much more "modern" vibe: the martini bar has a DJ and not a lounge singer playing the piano. The food is more in line with what you'd find in an urban restaurant in 2021, especially in the specialty dining venues. Entertainment is often better, especially on the Edge series which feature full-scale cirque-lite productions in the main theater (WITH RAIN). The ships are incredibly innovative, and styled much more like a W Hotel than a Marriott. If you're sailing in a suite, Celebrity will far exceed the experience on Princess, with much more exclusivity. 

 

For lots of cruisers, the looser upscale vibe of Celebrity can be off-putting, but they're always trying new things. For a cruise experience that comes closest to an old-school experience, (other than Cunard), Princess is a great option. 

 

Either way, they're both great lines, and you'll likely have a great time.

Nice choice of words, traditional vs modern, and I appreciate the tone of your entire post. My one cruise on Celebrity (Eclipse in 2011) was off-putting for the reason of seeming too modernish (as well as most food venues not being up to par IMO) -- too much glass and such, just kinda "cold" throughout, incuding the staff in general. I much prefer the "warmth" of traditional (as well as a pleasant, friendly, welcoming crew).

 

OTOH, one of the best musical treats I've ever experienced was the lovely Ukrainian piano player I encountered late one morning on a lower deck, off the atrium I believe. I sat mesmerized for almost 45 minutes. This to say every line and every ship has its pluses and minuses.

 

[iancal]

We like both and would go on either at the drop of a hat.   Depending on the ship of course.

 

The challenge we see is that the only constant on any ship, other than decor and great service, is inconsistency.  Especially in the food and entertainment areas.

 

I realize that there some cruise line snobs and some cruise line devotees who really do feel that their choice of cruise line loyalty  has to be the best.

 

 We certainly do not feel way.  We have been on a number of cruise lines from Carnival to Crystal.  They have all been great cruise.  And we enjoy the differences between ships, between cruise lines.

Edited September 15, 2021 by iancal

[Moonarino]

46 minutes ago, iancal said:

We like both and would go on either at the drop of a hat.   Depending on the ship of course.

 

The challenge we see is that the only constant on any ship, other than decor and great service, is inconsistency.  Especially in the food and entertainment areas.

 

I realize that there some cruise line snobs and some cruise line devotees who really do feel that their choice of cruise line loyalty  has to be the best.

 

 We certainly do not feel way.  We have been on a number of cruise lines from Carnival to Crystal.  They have all been great cruise.  And we enjoy the differences between ships, between cruise lines.

Also nicely said.

 

One of the "not-best" of my recent cruises was on an older small-medium Carnival ship, Conquest. But the "plus" of that cruise was 5 nights of The Best live 80s Rock I've ever experienced at sea. Carnival Breeze is still my co-favorite of all ships I've sailed. (Allure OTS shares that co-honor).

 

Except for one minus already (every ship has them), I am hoping Caribbean Princess will end up on that short list.

 

A "bad day" cruising is still WAY better than... almost anything else I could mention.

[KeepCalmBearOn]

17 hours ago, mcrcruiser said:

My wide & I grew up in....

 

Well I am sure she isn't going to like that.... 😁 🤣

[Ken the cruiser]

Here's one reason why we would choose Princess over Celebrity if the itineraries are about the same.

 

Today we just had our Celebrity Apr 2022 Japan/TP cruise on the Solstice cancelled by X. So we started looking for an alternative that had a high probability of sailing during the same Apr 2022 time frame and found a Vista Suite on an 18 day Panama Canal cruise on the Caribbean Princess for $6,898 pp (or $383 pp/day). We found a similar Celebrity Panama Canal cruise in a regular veranda cabin, but only for 15 days on the Millennium, for $5,616 with the current 20% discount and refundable deposit (or $374 pp/day). 

 

For us the Princess cruise option was a no brainer, especially when we also get our dual military OBC perk of $500 along with an extra $300 OBC from using our $100 FCDs to book the cruise whereas with the Celebrity cruise it required a $900 deposit. 

 

Don't get me wrong, we enjoy cruising with Celebrity. But when we can get a Vista Suite with all the trimmings for roughly the same price as a regular veranda, how can we pass up that deal! 😎

 

 

Edited September 15, 2021 by Ken the cruiser

[carbon]

Celebrity has great musicians performing around the ship and Princess shows great concerts on their big screen. Enjoyed the Rolling Stones from Havana, Santana, Brian Adams, Crowded House and Sting to name a few from past cruises!  Sitting at the bar enjoying the concert and looking out at the open sea!

Doesnt get much better than that!!!

[nini]

2 hours ago, Moonarino said:

Nice choice of words, traditional vs modern, and I appreciate the tone of your entire post. My one cruise on Celebrity (Eclipse in 2011) was off-putting for the reason of seeming too modernish (as well as most food venues not being up to par IMO) -- too much glass and such, just kinda "cold" throughout, incuding the staff in general. I much prefer the "warmth" of traditional (as well as a pleasant, friendly, welcoming crew).

 

 

 

 

Thank you. Another way to compare the two as far as personal impressions and we are on the same page!

[mcrcruiser]

Enjoyed  reading all the posts   . Because we no longer fly  & live here in the San Diego  area we will book cruises on Princess , Holland America & Carnival   in  Balcony  state rooms that can accommodate my scooter 

[KeepCalmBearOn]

It might sound small and silly, but I am so used to the Princess' giant screen that they use for Movies Under The Star and for various other things during the day; it seems completely strange when I am on cruise ships that don't have a giant screen for movies and concerts. It might sound small and silly, but I really miss it when ships don't have it. If there were two similarly situated cruises and one ship did not have the giant screen, that would be enough to tip it for me.

 

It might not be a big deal on a cruise were you are in a new port every day, but on a 15 day cruise with 10 sea days, it actually is a pretty big deal.

[NMTraveller]

On the Princess ships I have been on they have real balconies and not the open/close window IV.  Also they have a front facing lounge similar to the Sky Lounge on the Celebrity S Class ships.  Much better than Celebrity E class IMHO.

[gmjc2]

On 9/14/2021 at 11:43 PM, Bruin Steve said:

This take is just plain NONSENSE...

Both (or actually ALL) cruise lines are pretty much the same here...and it is port-specific...

We've been on Princess ships where the shorexes in certain ports (Mexican Riviera) were "meet on the pier"...and most Celebrity ships we've been on, the shorexes meet in the Showroom.  In fact, we just did B2Bs on Apex in the Med...and did shorexes for every port...and every one was "meet in the showroom" at a specific time.  The shorex people there give you the numbered stickers and have you wait in a specific area of the room until they call your tour number and someone then leads you out to the bus...

 

But, yes, for example, we've been to Ensenada on Princess, Carnival and NCL...and EVERY one of them had us meet our shorex ON THE DOCK...where the tour company has its people waiting with signs...

 

It's pretty much standard for most cruise lines (We've been on ten different ones) and for most ports...

 

Remember that the cruise lines themselves do NOT actually conduct the shorexes...They are done under contract with local providers in each port and almost ALL of the cruise lines use the SAME providers in each port.

 

One problem with these sorts of comparison threads is that lots of posters have only anecdotal evidence from limited numbers of cruises--usually far fewer cruises on whichever line they claim is "worse"...

Why make this acrimonious? All are entitled to an opinion and differing views make the thread more interesting. 

[gmjc2]

11 hours ago, scottca075 said:

It might sound small and silly, but I am so used to the Princess' giant screen that they use for Movies Under The Star and for various other things during the day; it seems completely strange when I am on cruise ships that don't have a giant screen for movies and concerts. It might sound small and silly, but I really miss it when ships don't have it. If there were two similarly situated cruises and one ship did not have the giant screen, that would be enough to tip it for me.

 

It might not be a big deal on a cruise were you are in a new port every day, but on a 15 day cruise with 10 sea days, it actually is a pretty big deal.

Not small and silly at all! Whatever makes your cruise experience enjoyable is important to you and probably others!

[gmjc2]

On 9/14/2021 at 6:18 PM, Moonarino said:

I was thinking more of bringing an inflatable futon.

Love it!!!

[Bruin Steve]

2 hours ago, gmjc2 said:

Why make this acrimonious? All are entitled to an opinion and differing views make the thread more interesting. 

Not Acrimonious at all...Just commenting that the poster was WRONG--not of opinion, but fact.  That is NOT a distinction between the two.  BOTH cruise lines treat shore excursions the same.  BOTH, for the most parrt, meet on the ship and you get led to the bus.  It is a distinction by port only...nd, in a few ports, both have you meet at the pier.

[gmjc2]

14 minutes ago, Bruin Steve said:

Not Acrimonious at all...Just commenting that the poster was WRONG--not of opinion, but fact.  That is NOT a distinction between the two.  BOTH cruise lines treat shore excursions the same.  BOTH, for the most parrt, meet on the ship and you get led to the bus.  It is a distinction by port only...nd, in a few ports, both have you meet at the pier.

The acrimonious part is the word ---NONSENSE. Totally unnecessary to insult like that. Opinion/fact no difference to the way you answer a post. Be polite not argumentative.

[Moonarino]

4 hours ago, NMTraveller said:

On the Princess ships I have been on they have real balconies and not the open/close window IV.  Also they have a front facing lounge similar to the Sky Lounge on the Celebrity S Class ships.  Much better than Celebrity E class IMHO.

Same here. My upcoming Celebrity Apex cruise has the Infinite Veranda, which sounded neat at first but the more I read tabout it the more skeptical I get. But I'm withholding final judgement till we actually experience it.

Edited September 16, 2021 by Moonarino
corrected nomenclature

[NMTraveller]

1 hour ago, Moonarino said:

Same here. My upcoming Celebrity Apex cruise has the Infinite Veranda, which sounded neat at first but the more I read tabout it the more skeptical I get. But I'm withholding final judgement till we actually experience it.

There are the SVs on the Apex.  A bit more if you are interested.  They are the real balconies in the back of the ship.  Some like the IVs and other's don't.  There seems to be about a 50/50 split.

[Moonarino]

10 minutes ago, NMTraveller said:

There are the SVs on the Apex.  A bit more if you are interested.  They are the real balconies in the back of the ship.  Some like the IVs and other's don't.  There seems to be about a 50/50 split.

Yeah, thanks, and I thought about it, but I got such a deal on my current booking (made very early) that I'd almost be paying for another cruise (at current pricing) to upgrade. I decided to do just that, which is my recent Princess booking.  I'll give the Apex IV a try and then give my own two cents in review afterward.

Edited September 16, 2021 by Moonarino

[AstoriaPreppy]

On 9/16/2021 at 7:55 AM, NMTraveller said:

On the Princess ships I have been on they have real balconies and not the open/close window IV.

 

I still don't get the (frankly) hysterical disdain some CC members have to Celebrity's infinite verandahs. I've been in many traditional cruise ship cabins on a variety of lines that were "much" worse than the infinite verandah.

 

Based on much of the feedback here, we were highly dubious about the feature during our 2019 Edge sailing in Europe. Much to our surprise, we loved (LOVED) the stateroom. The infinite veranda space was incredibly functional: closed, it was like having an entire other room/space in the already large cabin. Open, it was largely like any other balcony. And the amount of light in the cabin was amazing! 

All of the "it's like a cave," "you feel like you're inside all the time," "my husband likes to sleep in total darkness until noon while I sit on the balcony and knit at 5 am" was entirely a non-issue for us. If anything, we loved the a standard balcony cabin was almost like a mini-suite sized space on most cruise lines with the addition of the balcony space while closed... such a value!

Edited September 17, 2021 by AstoriaPreppy
typos :)

[NMTraveller]

3 minutes ago, AstoriaPreppy said:

 

I still don't get the (frankly) hysterical disdain some CC members have to Celebrity's infinite verandahs. I've been in many traditional cruise ship cabins on a variety of lines that were "much" worse than the infinite verandah.

 

Based on much of the feedback here, we were highly dubious about the feature during our 2019 Edge sailing in Europe. Much to our surprise, we loved (LOVED) the stateroom. The infinite veranda space was incredibly functional: closed, it was like having an entire other room/space in the already large cabin. Open, it was largely like any other balcony. And the amount of light in the cabin was amazing! 

All of the "it's like a cave," "you feel like you're inside all the time," "my husband likes to sleep in total darkness until noon while I sit on the balcony and knit at 5 am" was entirely a non-issue for us. If anything, we loved the a standard balcony cabin was almost like a mini-suite sized space on most cruise lines with the addition of the balcony space while closed... such a value!

Well I am glad that you liked it.  However this is one of the biggest complaints on E class.  Talking to others on my Edge sailing it was the biggest complaint.

 

It has been heavily discussed on the Celebrity board.  The biggest issue for myself is that the AC turns off when the open/close window is open.  If I want to be outside in the veranda and my wife inside in the air conditioning this type of set up just does not work.  The Sunset Verandas on E Class ships book out early (real balconies).  When I am at home I do not just open up a window I actually go outside on the balcony.  IVs are just not the same.  They make work for some but definitely not for myself.  I have an SV on my next Apex cruise.

[AstoriaPreppy]

2 minutes ago, NMTraveller said:

The biggest issue for myself is that the AC turns off when the open/close window is open.  

"AC shuts off as soon as you open the window" was not the case on our sailing. As long as you closed the folding doors between the balcony space and the rest of the stateroom, the AC stays on in the cabin with the window open. 

Otherwise, no one could ever be on the balcony with someone else in the room space... the entire room would just overheat. As long as those accordion doors are closed, the AC stays on for the rest of the cabin. 

 

 

[nini]

@AstoriaPreppy

That is why there is something for everyone. You found something that you enjoy... some people have to be mid-ship... some only want to be aft...some can only be in a suite... etc.

[tikcho]

I am a travel agent and have been on both Celebrity and Princess 10+ times. Here is a summary of my opinion on the subject

- Cabins - Celebrity suites are much more spacious and modern. You get a butler. Even new Princess ships do not come close to the design and level of service on CEL

- Food - Luminae on CEL is outstanding, both service, food and design. Similar to 5-star restaurant on land. Princess does not even come close with the dining area for suites though food is good but not exceptional. Buffet on Princess offers more variety though both buffets are good.

- Entertainment - it's a draw between the two, depends on what you like to do. Shows on CEL are better to me but Princess has a lot of trivia, game night, comedy, etc. Both have plenty of stuff to do

- Pool area - more pools and better designed area on CEL. Princess have very limited seating around the main pool, CEL has three big pools with lots of seating plus separate pool for Suites, which is amazing (the Retreat)

- Service - have found it to be equally good on both

- Other guests - not sure where the comments come about CEL guests being "snobby". Honestly, I do not go on cruises to hang out with other guests, but have never experienced any negative attitude from anyone. In my experience Princess guests tend to be older (especially in the slow season) - average age 60-70 while CEL guests vary more by age (30-70 I'd say). Both skew towards adults with very few kids even before Covid

- Princess has free movies in the cabins, if that matters to you. They also have a sing-along piano bar that some people love. The have Movies Under the Stars every night by the pool.

- CEL has a couple of exceptional specialty restaurants (Qsine, Tuscan Grill, The Porch). On Princess the specialty restaurants never impressed me and they are kind of dark and and muted. Martini Bar on CEL is also my favorite and does not have equivalent on Princess.

Overall, if you like more modern, bright, airy, whimsical, unique foods, and separate pool area for suites - CEL is for you. If you prefer more of a country-club atmosphere, traditional, but solid good then go with Princess.

[nini]

@tikcho

Travel Agent, as a vocation, does not negate or downplay the true experiences of others.

[ALWAYS CRUZIN]

On 9/12/2021 at 5:33 PM, nini said:

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.

Agree. The SKY Princess blows away anything Celebrity has that floats. The APEX is nothing more than a fancy cold hotel. Pigs, elephants and horses OH yes wooden art ? are the type of things you see all over the ship. A farmers paradise. Try to even eat on that outside dining elevator. The wind blows everything to the ground. As for food. Princess and Royal in my opinion have the best. Unless you are talking steak Carnivals Fahrenheit 555 has the very best. Hands down. Were never disappointed and stuffed. The only bad steak and service we ever had was on the Caribbean Princess. Both were terrible.