long time Celebrity cruiser looking at Princess

[SJ1_]

for 6.4.2022 birtheday cruise it;s about $1500 cheaper on 7 day Caribbean Princess than the 8 night Celebrity Equinox 

I can actually get a mini suite on Princess for about the same price as a balcony on Celebrity

Since both include free drinks wifi etc my Elite benefits are pretty much gone so that is out of the equation

Love a lot of things about cruising but the shows are my favorite, esp the vegas quality guests Celebrity has 

 

any thought?  from what I read they are pretty equal

 

thanks

[cruisemom42]

My thoughts -- Caribbean Princess is about 6-7 years older than Equinox, and the two are pretty different in terms of decor. The Princess ship is very "old style" cruise ship whereas Equinox has a very different and more modern feeling.

 

As to entertainment, since you say it is important, Princess evening shows are notoriously short. I've often joked that I spent more time in the theater waiting for the show to start than actually watching it. (And that reminds me, the theaters on Princess seem too small, such that you need to arrive well in advance of the show to have any hope of reasonable seats -- although with post-COVID passengers levels, that may not be as much of a concern...)

 

Princess puts a lot into their passenger-participation entertainment. If you're a fan of all varieties of trivia and of watching passengers compete in take-offs of TV game shows, you'll like those offerings. 

 

Cynically speaking, a Princess mini-suite has a few advantages but in truth is not that much different from a Celebrity balcony. Princess balcony rooms do not have any kind of couch or loveseat, btw. 

[cruisestitch]

Check their smoking policies before you decide.

[SJ1_]

34 minutes ago, cruisemom42 said:

My thoughts -- Caribbean Princess is about 6-7 years older than Equinox, and the two are pretty different in terms of decor. The Princess ship is very "old style" cruise ship whereas Equinox has a very different and more modern feeling.

 

As to entertainment, since you say it is important, Princess evening shows are notoriously short. I've often joked that I spent more time in the theater waiting for the show to start than actually watching it. (And that reminds me, the theaters on Princess seem too small, such that you need to arrive well in advance of the show to have any hope of reasonable seats -- although with post-COVID passengers levels, that may not be as much of a concern...)

 

Princess puts a lot into their passenger-participation entertainment. If you're a fan of all varieties of trivia and of watching passengers compete in take-offs of TV game shows, you'll like those offerings. 

 

Cynically speaking, a Princess mini-suite has a few advantages but in truth is not that much different from a Celebrity balcony. Princess balcony rooms do not have any kind of couch or loveseat, btw. 

thanks so much shows are what I love most about Celebrity 

 

Edited March 19, 2022 by SJ1_

[Ken the cruiser]

We enjoy both cruise lines and have a lot of fun on both as they do offer quite the variety of entertainment, both in the evenings and on sea days. My opinion is to book the Princess cruise in a mini-suite, or better yet in a club class mini-suite if there are any left and the cost still works for you.

 

Caribbean Princess - Cruise Ship Information - Princess Cruises

 

But the main reason is it's your birthday cruise and it's always fun to experience something new and different on your birthday!! The Caribbean Princess also has a covered promenade deck which is always fun to walk around to burn off all those extra calories! 

[George C]

Cabin is definitely nice on Princess have done mini suite on that ship. My issue with that and most other Princess ship is they added cabins but showrooms are not big enough, saw fist fight on saving seats . 

[chamima]

5 hours ago, SJ1_ said:

for 6.4.2022 birtheday cruise it;s about $1500 cheaper on 7 day Caribbean Princess than the 8 night Celebrity Equinox 

I can actually get a mini suite on Princess for about the same price as a balcony on Celebrity

Since both include free drinks wifi etc my Elite benefits are pretty much gone so that is out of the equation

Love a lot of things about cruising but the shows are my favorite, esp the vegas quality guests Celebrity has 

 

any thought?  from what I read they are pretty equal

 

thanks

 

 

We have sailed both lines for many years. We've sailed on the Equinox several times (and also many other Celebrity ships)  and recently sailed on the Caribbean Princess for the first time, after sailing on many other Princess ships.

I personally think the shows are much better and more varied on Princess. Every evening (and sometimes during the day) there is not only the show in the theater but live music in many venues around the ship.  (In our 50 years and 35 Princess cruises we've never seen a fight on a Princess ship -either to save seats in the theater or anywhere else).

I enjoy the International Cafe where food and drink is available 24/7 in case you stay up late or rise early.

If it's in the budget, we enjoyed Club Class and the more personalized dining experience. (We sail in Aqua on Celebrity and  it's a similar experience)

Also, Princess has recently changed the nightly turndown service to "by request" so either sign up in advance on your Medallion or let your room steward know the first day.

Speaking of the Medallion - we LOVED it! You can order drinks or food delivered ANYWHERE you are (including in your cabin).

Also, if you really want to splurge for your birthday you can book the Sanctuary for a day or for the whole cruise . It's an adult only area in the front of the ship with cushy loungers and a dedicated serving staff.  You book your specific lounger - either in the shade or the sun - and can come and go with no worry that someone else will take it while you're gone.

Enjoy your birthday cruise!

Edited March 19, 2022 by chamima

[miched]

Our last cruise on Princess was on the Caribbean Princess over 5 years ago.   It was showing her age back then.  

 

All you get on Princess in the mini suite is some space extra space.    You still dine in the main  dining room but I understand now that you can upgrade for extra cost to have a separate dining area in the MDR a with a different menu.  
 

The ceilings were very low in the MDR  and it felt cramped 

 

The theater gets very crowded and the seats aren’t comfortable.  The theater seats follow the slant of the floor and you are always sliding forward in the seat.  It is using a chair meant for a level floor and putting it on a slanted floor. The production shows at that time had recorded music.  No live band 
 

The lounge areas were nice and had good entertainment in them.  They did have a real piano bar.  
 

I would also suggest to look into the smoking policy if that is a issue for you

 

This my memories of being on that ship and many things may have changed 

 

If you  feel it is worth trying go for it.  I have never been on a bad cruise.  They have all been enjoyable but some have been better than others and that is why I haven’t sailed on Princess lately.   Celebrity suits us more.  

 

Happy cruising 🌊🚢🇺🇸🌅

 

 

Edited March 19, 2022 by miched

[ALWAYS CRUZIN]

7 hours ago, SJ1_ said:

for 6.4.2022 birtheday cruise it;s about $1500 cheaper on 7 day Caribbean Princess than the 8 night Celebrity Equinox 

I can actually get a mini suite on Princess for about the same price as a balcony on Celebrity

Since both include free drinks wifi etc my Elite benefits are pretty much gone so that is out of the equation

Love a lot of things about cruising but the shows are my favorite, esp the vegas quality guests Celebrity has 

 

any thought?  from what I read they are pretty equal

 

thanks

I would do the SKY Princess. built 2019. Our favorite Princess. Caribbean Princess our least favorite Princess ship. Booked on the SKY again for this year.

[Shadow9612]

@miched mentions an important point that may resonate with the OP who places importance on the shows -- Celebrity has a live orchestra band.  

 

[Oceansaway17]

I sailed on the Caribbean Princess in 2009 and I hated the lumpy ugly blue carpeting on the balcony.

But I did love the back of the ship with open areas, pool and then the walkway to a bar.

 

[cruisemom42]

25 minutes ago, Shadow9612 said:

@miched mentions an important point that may resonate with the OP who places importance on the shows -- Celebrity has a live orchestra band.  

 

 

So does Princess -- or at least they did the last time I was onboard for a NYE 2019 cruise. Lots of live music all around the ship. It was one of the FEW things I really liked about Regal Princess. 

[MamaFej]

In our experiences, Princess is generally better at big stage entertainment. Vines is better than Cellar Masters (and I love Cellar Masters). Pre- Royal Class ships have lovely promenades. International Cafe is a plus.

 

MDR food is significantly better on Celebrity. X staff are so friendly. We always get a greeting when passing anyone. Most passengers seem to get into the greetings as well. The Martini Bar and Sunset Bar staffs tend to be terrific. Small stage entertainment is often better on Celebrity. Cafe al Bacio is lovely. We really enjoy the "Classy without being stuffy" atmosphere on  X. 

 

On our last Princess cruise, a 3 day in October filled with travel professionals, we decided to try a Club Class Mini Suite to see if we felt it was worth the upcharge for a 26 day cruise we have next year. For us, it most definitely was not. We didn't feel that it came anywhere close to the experience in Blu. We did, however, love the cabin. The extra space was really nice. 

 

Celebrity also has some truly friendly Captains and Cruise Directors, and they often put on excellent presentations on sea days. We have had a much smaller percentage of memorable Captains or CDs on Princess, though our last CD was lots of fun. 

 

The Medallions on Princess add quite a bit of convenience, though I do wish they didn't unlock the cabin door from as far away as they do. 

 

There is much to love on both lines. There is much to love about cruising, and aren't we fortunate to be able to do it?

[Fly and Sail]

I'd consider about the age and design of the ship. Does Princess sail at full capacity right now?

 

IMHO food and beverage is slightly better on X. But it's good to change things up sometimes.

[ZoeyVictoria]

31 minutes ago, Fly and Sail said:

I'd consider about the age and design of the ship. Does Princess sail at full capacity right now?

 

IMHO food and beverage is slightly better on X. But it's good to change things up sometimes.

The Regal Princess had 1,104 passengers on the March 3-7 sailing.  

[SJ1_]

Thanks for all the replies   I decided to sail the Equinox on 6.4.22 for the Caribbean Birthday Cruise

and Caribbean Princess 7.23.22 for Eastern Canada from Ft Laurdale to Quebec, something 

I always wanted to do.

 

 

 

[MamaFej]

I forgot to add that the Internet speeds are generally significantly faster on Princess. 

 

That's not a huge deal for us, but it could be for some. We have cruised three times with our dear friend, who is also our travel agent, and have two more booked with him. He frequently works onboard, and he cruises on Celebrity more than on Princess, so Xcellerate Stream must be adequate for him. 

I forgot to add that the Internet speeds are generally significantly faster on Princess. 

 

That's not a huge deal for us, but it could be for some. We have cruised three times with our dear friend, who is also our travel agent, and have two more booked with him. He frequently works onboard, and he cruises on Celebrity more than on Princess, so Xcellerate Stream must be adequate for him. 

[AZ Ocean Lover]

I’ve sailed both and I would definitely prefer the Princess mini-suite to a regular Equinox balcony.  You get a Full sized couch, much larger balcony and wrap around promenade.  I’ve been on two post Covid cruises and I wouldn’t pay the extra money for the Club Class.  If the ships were sailing full it’s nice because you don’t have to wait in line for anytime dining.  But, since they are not sailing full it’s not a big deal.

 

Granted, I don’t go to all the shows but I have certainly been in the theater and I never thought the seats were uncomfortable.  In fact, I fallen asleep in them more that once.