Princess and Celebrity Comparison

[lakegirl16]

I've always considered these two lines more similar than different.  We just returned from 10 Day Ruby Princess Round Trip Alaska.  Most recent Celebrity Sailing was December 2022, Mexican Riviera on the Solstice.  Both of these ships were built around the same time.

 

I know this comparison is subjective and every ship is different, many will say the opposite of my opinions but wanted to share my thoughts.  Happy to answer any questions.   

 

In no particular order, here's my thoughts ... 

 

Television - Celebrity.  I know we don’t cruise to watch TV but Princess TV is terrible.  

 

Internet - Celebrity.  Internet on the Ruby Princess was not good, very slow.  In fairness, the Solstice had just gotten Starlink and we were sailing south and not north.

 

Embarkation  / Disembarkation - Even. 

Although I heard passengers complain it took them 1.5 hours in the 12:30 boarding group on the Ruby.

 

Entertainment - Princess. We found the shows on the Solstice in December very average.  Star Princess shows were great.  I also like the wide variety of musical entertainment in the bars on Princess.

 

Pastries - Celebrity - I always felt like the pastries I had on the Ruby were a bit dry.  One exception, the almond croissant.

 

Coffee bar - Celebrity - Location, setting and coffee selection.  Service on the Ruby was terrible.

 

Friendliness - Celebrity.  I found a lot of staff on Ruby didn’t speak at all.

 

Cookies- celebrity.  Princess cookies were dry and hard.

 

Overall food - even.  I thought both had good and not so good selections.  My one concern on the Star was often my food wasn't hot.  Not cold, just not hot.

 

Desserts - slight to Celebrity.  I can’t believe Princess changed the Love Boat Dream to Raspberry!

 

Cocktails - Celebrity - Martini bar, big plus.

 

Beds - Even.  I always sleep great at sea

 

Activities- slight to Princess.  I love BINGO! 

 

Apps -  Celebrity hands down.  Princess app is pretty worthless, can’t see menus unless you are booked in the restaurant.  

 

Spa - even.  Although I had a pedicure on Princess and first time ever she didn’t try to sell me any products!! 

 

Toiletries - Princess love the hand soap

 

Ice cream -  Celebrity - love the Gelato!

 

Casino -Celebrity - smoking on Princess is a no go for me.

 

Dining Room Service - I’m not going to compare because our last cruise on Celebrity we were in a Sky Suite.  I will say service on the Ruby was so so.  In general servers were not terribly friendly.  We ate in the main dining room 4 nights.  Only one of those nights did we have a server who introduced himself, gave recommendations and was engaging.  Wait times went from really poor to good.  We had one lunch that took an hour and 20 minutes.  

 

Overall Ship Condition - Celebrity.  

The Star Princess is looking pretty ratty. Rusted off parts on our balcony.  Furniture in Wheelhouse, leather peeling off couches, looks terrible.  Before we sailed on the Solstice, I read lots of reviews saying the ship was in poor condition, I never noticed anything.  I don't really "look" for problems because I'm enjoying my cruise. These things on the Star, I didn't have to look for, they were obvious.

 

[PacnGoNow]

15 minutes ago, lakegirl16 said:

I've always considered these two lines more similar than different.  We just returned from 10 Day Ruby Princess Round Trip Alaska.  Most recent Celebrity Sailing was December 2022, Mexican Riviera on the Solstice.  Both of these ships were built around the same time.

 

I know this comparison is subjective and every ship is different, many will say the opposite of my opinions but wanted to share my thoughts.  Happy to answer any questions.   

 

In no particular order, here's my thoughts ... 

 

Television - Celebrity.  I know we don’t cruise to watch TV but Princess TV is terrible.  

 

Internet - Celebrity.  Internet on the Ruby Princess was not good, very slow.  In fairness, the Solstice had just gotten Starlink and we were sailing south and not north.

 

Embarkation  / Disembarkation - Even. 

Although I heard passengers complain it took them 1.5 hours in the 12:30 boarding group on the Ruby.

 

Entertainment - Princess. We found the shows on the Solstice in December very average.  Star Princess shows were great.  I also like the wide variety of musical entertainment in the bars on Princess.

 

Pastries - Celebrity - I always felt like the pastries I had on the Ruby were a bit dry.  One exception, the almond croissant.

 

Coffee bar - Celebrity - Location, setting and coffee selection.  Service on the Ruby was terrible.

 

Friendliness - Celebrity.  I found a lot of staff on Ruby didn’t speak at all.

 

Cookies- celebrity.  Princess cookies were dry and hard.

 

Overall food - even.  I thought both had good and not so good selections.  My one concern on the Star was often my food wasn't hot.  Not cold, just not hot.

 

Desserts - slight to Celebrity.  I can’t believe Princess changed the Love Boat Dream to Raspberry!

 

Cocktails - Celebrity - Martini bar, big plus.

 

Beds - Even.  I always sleep great at sea

 

Activities- slight to Princess.  I love BINGO! 

 

Apps -  Celebrity hands down.  Princess app is pretty worthless, can’t see menus unless you are booked in the restaurant.  

 

Spa - even.  Although I had a pedicure on Princess and first time ever she didn’t try to sell me any products!! 

 

Toiletries - Princess love the hand soap

 

Ice cream -  Celebrity - love the Gelato!

 

Casino -Celebrity - smoking on Princess is a no go for me.

 

Dining Room Service - I’m not going to compare because our last cruise on Celebrity we were in a Sky Suite.  I will say service on the Ruby was so so.  In general servers were not terribly friendly.  We ate in the main dining room 4 nights.  Only one of those nights did we have a server who introduced himself, gave recommendations and was engaging.  Wait times went from really poor to good.  We had one lunch that took an hour and 20 minutes.  

 

Overall Ship Condition - Celebrity.  

The Star Princess is looking pretty ratty. Rusted off parts on our balcony.  Furniture in Wheelhouse, leather peeling off couches, looks terrible.  Before we sailed on the Solstice, I read lots of reviews saying the ship was in poor condition, I never noticed anything.  I don't really "look" for problems because I'm enjoying my cruise. These things on the Star, I didn't have to look for, they were obvious.

 

A lot of references to Star Princess.  I assume this was about Ruby?

 

Coffee?  Did you have the International Cafe coffee, or are you referring to MDR coffee on both?

 

I’m really shocked that the crew wasn’t friendly or fantastic.  I’ve found the crew on the Princess to be fabulous on all the ships we’ve sailed.  To be fair, have not sailed Ruby.  Just really surprised.  JMO.

 

Thank you for the comparison.  

[lakegirl16]

4 minutes ago, PacnGoNow said:

A lot of references to Star Princess.  I assume this was about Ruby?

 

Coffee?  Did you have the International Cafe coffee, or are you referring to MDR coffee on both?

 

I’m really shocked that the crew wasn’t friendly or fantastic.  I’ve found the crew on the Princess to be fabulous on all the ships we’ve sailed.  To be fair, have not sailed Ruby.  Just really surprised.  JMO.

 

Thank you for the comparison.  

 

25 minutes ago, lakegirl16 said:

I've always considered these two lines more similar than different.  We just returned from 10 Day Ruby Princess Round Trip Alaska.  Most recent Celebrity Sailing was December 2022, Mexican Riviera on the Solstice.  Both of these ships were built around the same time.

 

I know this comparison is subjective and every ship is different, many will say the opposite of my opinions but wanted to share my thoughts.  Happy to answer any questions.   

 

In no particular order, here's my thoughts ... 

 

Television - Celebrity.  I know we don’t cruise to watch TV but Princess TV is terrible.  

 

Internet - Celebrity.  Internet on the Ruby Princess was not good, very slow.  In fairness, the Solstice had just gotten Starlink and we were sailing south and not north.

 

Embarkation  / Disembarkation - Even. 

Although I heard passengers complain it took them 1.5 hours in the 12:30 boarding group on the Ruby.

 

Entertainment - Princess. We found the shows on the Solstice in December very average.  Star Princess shows were great.  I also like the wide variety of musical entertainment in the bars on Princess.

 

Pastries - Celebrity - I always felt like the pastries I had on the Ruby were a bit dry.  One exception, the almond croissant.

 

Coffee bar - Celebrity - Location, setting and coffee selection.  Service on the Ruby was terrible.

 

Friendliness - Celebrity.  I found a lot of staff on Ruby didn’t speak at all.

 

Cookies- celebrity.  Princess cookies were dry and hard.

 

Overall food - even.  I thought both had good and not so good selections.  My one concern on the Star was often my food wasn't hot.  Not cold, just not hot.

 

Desserts - slight to Celebrity.  I can’t believe Princess changed the Love Boat Dream to Raspberry!

 

Cocktails - Celebrity - Martini bar, big plus.

 

Beds - Even.  I always sleep great at sea

 

Activities- slight to Princess.  I love BINGO! 

 

Apps -  Celebrity hands down.  Princess app is pretty worthless, can’t see menus unless you are booked in the restaurant.  

 

Spa - even.  Although I had a pedicure on Princess and first time ever she didn’t try to sell me any products!! 

 

Toiletries - Princess love the hand soap

 

Ice cream -  Celebrity - love the Gelato!

 

Casino -Celebrity - smoking on Princess is a no go for me.

 

Dining Room Service - I’m not going to compare because our last cruise on Celebrity we were in a Sky Suite.  I will say service on the Ruby was so so.  In general servers were not terribly friendly.  We ate in the main dining room 4 nights.  Only one of those nights did we have a server who introduced himself, gave recommendations and was engaging.  Wait times went from really poor to good.  We had one lunch that took an hour and 20 minutes.  

 

Overall Ship Condition - Celebrity.  

The Star Princess is looking pretty ratty. Rusted off parts on our balcony.  Furniture in Wheelhouse, leather peeling off couches, looks terrible.  Before we sailed on the Solstice, I read lots of reviews saying the ship was in poor condition, I never noticed anything.  I don't really "look" for problems because I'm enjoying my cruise. These things on the Star, I didn't have to look for, they were obvious.

 

I thought I proofed this and caught where I'd said STAR, all comparisons were the RUBY.  STAR was the ship we were on before.  Too late to edit my mistake.  

[lakegirl16]

6 minutes ago, PacnGoNow said:

A lot of references to Star Princess.  I assume this was about Ruby?

 

Coffee?  Did you have the International Cafe coffee, or are you referring to MDR coffee on both?

 

I’m really shocked that the crew wasn’t friendly or fantastic.  I’ve found the crew on the Princess to be fabulous on all the ships we’ve sailed.  To be fair, have not sailed Ruby.  Just really surprised.  JMO.

 

Thank you for the comparison.  

Coffee - yes International Cafe - coffee was fine.  More the service.

 

I was shocked on the crew as well. Many we passed never spoke, dining room staff not very engaging.

 

AND yes, the RUBY not the STAR.  Too late to edit.

 

 

[PacnGoNow]

17 minutes ago, lakegirl16 said:

Coffee - yes International Cafe - coffee was fine.  More the service.

 

I was shocked on the crew as well. Many we passed never spoke, dining room staff not very engaging.

 

AND yes, the RUBY not the STAR.  Too late to edit.

 

 

You need to book the Star Princess, which will debut in 2025!

[Dar & Bob]

@lakegirl16 I agree with most of your assessments.

We just started cruising with X in April 2022 and have been on the Edge, the Equinox and the Apex.  On Princess most recently we have been on the Regal, Sky and  Grand. The Grand IMO was not in decent shape.  Also we had issues with so many things (internet, wrong charges and cabin noise) that we were in line at Guest services a number of our vacation hours so we will never sail less than Royal class again.

The food I agree is about even, however on the Sky the meals in the MDR were really lacking, overcooked, cold etc and we did send them back a couple of times.

As far as entertainment for us on all the Princess ships the production shows were like a high school musical.  The entertainment on the Equinox was very good and the Edge class ships the shows were fabulous with musical groups in Eden, the Grand Piazza, in the Club etc.  Some nights it was hard to decide where to go - too many great choices.

We will still cruise Princess, but right now I am put off by not being able to select a cabin of my choice and instead being put into a guarantee.  If they continue my FCD may be getting refunded.   

[Honolulu Blue]

1 hour ago, lakegirl16 said:

I've always considered these two lines more similar than different.  We just returned from 10 Day Ruby Princess Round Trip Alaska.  Most recent Celebrity Sailing was December 2022, Mexican Riviera on the Solstice.  Both of these ships were built around the same time.

 

I know this comparison is subjective and every ship is different, many will say the opposite of my opinions but wanted to share my thoughts.  Happy to answer any questions.   

 

In no particular order, here's my thoughts ... 

 

Television - Celebrity.  I know we don’t cruise to watch TV but Princess TV is terrible.  

 

Internet - Celebrity.  Internet on the Ruby Princess was not good, very slow.  In fairness, the Solstice had just gotten Starlink and we were sailing south and not north.

 

Embarkation  / Disembarkation - Even. 

Although I heard passengers complain it took them 1.5 hours in the 12:30 boarding group on the Ruby.

 

Entertainment - Princess. We found the shows on the Solstice in December very average.  Star Princess shows were great.  I also like the wide variety of musical entertainment in the bars on Princess.

 

Pastries - Celebrity - I always felt like the pastries I had on the Ruby were a bit dry.  One exception, the almond croissant.

 

Coffee bar - Celebrity - Location, setting and coffee selection.  Service on the Ruby was terrible.

 

Friendliness - Celebrity.  I found a lot of staff on Ruby didn’t speak at all.

 

Cookies- celebrity.  Princess cookies were dry and hard.

 

Overall food - even.  I thought both had good and not so good selections.  My one concern on the Star was often my food wasn't hot.  Not cold, just not hot.

 

Desserts - slight to Celebrity.  I can’t believe Princess changed the Love Boat Dream to Raspberry!

 

Cocktails - Celebrity - Martini bar, big plus.

 

Beds - Even.  I always sleep great at sea

 

Activities- slight to Princess.  I love BINGO! 

 

Apps -  Celebrity hands down.  Princess app is pretty worthless, can’t see menus unless you are booked in the restaurant.  

 

Spa - even.  Although I had a pedicure on Princess and first time ever she didn’t try to sell me any products!! 

 

Toiletries - Princess love the hand soap

 

Ice cream -  Celebrity - love the Gelato!

 

Casino -Celebrity - smoking on Princess is a no go for me.

 

Dining Room Service - I’m not going to compare because our last cruise on Celebrity we were in a Sky Suite.  I will say service on the Ruby was so so.  In general servers were not terribly friendly.  We ate in the main dining room 4 nights.  Only one of those nights did we have a server who introduced himself, gave recommendations and was engaging.  Wait times went from really poor to good.  We had one lunch that took an hour and 20 minutes.  

 

Overall Ship Condition - Celebrity.  

The Star Princess is looking pretty ratty. Rusted off parts on our balcony.  Furniture in Wheelhouse, leather peeling off couches, looks terrible.  Before we sailed on the Solstice, I read lots of reviews saying the ship was in poor condition, I never noticed anything.  I don't really "look" for problems because I'm enjoying my cruise. These things on the Star, I didn't have to look for, they were obvious.

Thank you for sharing your comparisons.  This is a very interesting format.  I hope you don't mind if I steal it for the next few minutes.  

 

I've been on five Celebrity ships, the last being the Summit in March.  I've been on three Princess ships - Regal, Majestic, and Ruby - the latter being my last sailing on Princess back in April.

 

I should note that two of my Celebrity cruises and two of my Princess cruises were themed cruises.  I'll try to note when they affect things.

 

OK, here goes:

 

TV and VODs - even.  I don't cruise much for TV.  I can't say that I've watched any television programming on either cruise line.  I've sampled some of the VODs on both.  The themed cruises offered a better selection here than normal.

 

Internet - even.  I've had good luck with Princess, even without Starlink.  The pings can be long and the speeds are erratic, but I had few problems streaming.  It's relatively cheap for a cruise line, especially for those with status. On Celebrity, I'm convinced their basic plan (RIP, except for their all included) is throttled at 1 mbps down.  Premium is faster, but costly at $35/day.  They have Starlink on all their ships now.

 

Embarkation/disembarkation - Celebrity.  I've always been able to get on and off smoothly with Celebrity.  In fact, I've often been able to be one of the first ones off the ship even when not trying to do so.  I had a big issue with Princess on the Ruby when I was stuck in line with the other 90% or more who didn't have their Medallion sent to them.  That took an extra half hour that I didn't want to give up.

 

Entertainment - Celebrity.  On one of my non-charters on the Millennium, we had a production show and a soloist of interest in the main theater.  They were good.  And the entertainment on the themed cruises was outstanding (as expected, and as I paid for).  Otherwise, on my regular cruises on both lines, I didn't find much of interest.

 

Pastries - n/a.  I rarely bother with pastries on cruises.

 

Coffee bar - n/a.  I'm not a coffee drinker.

 

Friendliness and competence of staff - even.  No complaints; most everyone on both lines went out of their way to try to make me happy.

 

Friendliness of the other cruisers - even.  I found Celebrity had more extensive travelers - on cruise ships and other ways of getting around.  Ruby had a big group of newbie cruisers; they were a lot of fun to interact with.

 

Cookies - n/a.  I choose other things for my empty calories.

 

Desserts - even.  I'm not big on desserts when cruising.  But the ones I tried were all right.

 

Overall food - Celebrity.  I'll note that I've only dined in the buffet on both lines.  Celebrity always had food of good quality and quantity when I was there.  Princess?  Not so much.  And their buffet design is less efficient that it really should be - especially on the Ruby.

 

Cocktails - n/a.  Coffee isn't the only thing I don't drink.

 

Beds - even.  Both gave me more pillows than I wanted, but that's a minor thing.

 

Activities - even.  No major differences noted.

 

App - even.  Celebrity's app is good but less ambitious.  Princess' Medallion App is much more ambitious, but everything doesn't work all the time.

 

Spa - n/a.  Not a place I hang out.

 

Toiletries - even.  Both cover the basics well.

 

Ice cream - n/a.  Another thing I don't consume.

 

Burgers - even.  Neither are in the Guy's neighborhood, but they're suitable for ordinary use.

 

Casino - Celebrity.  It's brighter, less confusing to walk around, and even offers some gaming lessons.

 

Dining room service - n/a.  See "Overall food" above for my experience at the trough.

 

Room service - Celebrity, I suppose.  Celebrity has a limited menu that's been consistently delivered to me in a decent amount of time (30 minutes or so).  Princess' history with me is very interesting.  On the Regal, room service (which I used a lot; blame the pandemic) was fantastic - 10-20 minutes for meals.  Did I mention that the ship was under 30% full.  On the Majestic, RS was 20-35 minutes.  That ship was around 75% full.  The Ruby was full and it seemed to show.  My first room service delivery was done in 45 minutes - not good.  The other one failed to be delivered in 90 minutes, so I canceled it.  Now you understand why I've soured on Princess room service.  I'm not encouraged to try again, but maybe I will, someday.

 

Overall ship condition - Celebrity.  I've only been on the Summit and Millennium on Celebrity - none of the newer ones.  Both were kept up very well, IMHO.  The Ruby had a few signs of wear and tear, fewer on the Regal or Majestic.

 

Other - Princess.  I've had good luck dealing with their customer service department on my pandemic canceled cruise, dealing with the gift card department, even writing random letters to John Boy in Santa Clarita.

Edited June 11, 2023 by Honolulu Blue

[lakegirl16]

10 minutes ago, Honolulu Blue said:

Thank you for sharing your comparisons.  This is a very interesting format.  I hope you don't mind if I steal it for the next few minutes.  

 

I've been on five Celebrity ships, the last being the Summit in March.  I've been on three Princess ships - Regal, Majestic, and Ruby - the latter being my last sailing on Princess back in April.

 

I should note that two of my Celebrity cruises and two of my Princess cruises were themed cruises.  I'll try to note when they affect things.

 

OK, here goes:

 

TV and VODs - even.  I don't cruise much for TV.  I can't say that I've watched any television programming on either cruise line.  I've sampled some of the VODs on both.  The themed cruises offered a better selection here than normal.

 

Internet - even.  I've had good luck with Princess, even without Starlink.  The pings can be long and the speeds are erratic, but I had few problems streaming.  It's relatively cheap for a cruise line, especially for those with status. On Celebrity, I'm convinced their basic plan (RIP, except for their all included) is throttled at 1 mbps down.  Premium is faster, but costly at $35/day.  They have Starlink on all their ships now.

 

Embarkation/disembarkation - Celebrity.  I've always been able to get on and off smoothly with Celebrity.  In fact, I've often been able to be one of the first ones off the ship even when not trying to do so.  I had a big issue with Princess on the Ruby when I was stuck in line with the other 90% or more who didn't have their Medallion sent to them.  That took an extra half hour that I didn't want to give up.

 

Entertainment - Celebrity.  On one of my non-charters on the Millennium, we had a production show and a soloist of interest in the main theater.  They were good.  And the entertainment on the themed cruises was outstanding (as expected, and as I paid for).  Otherwise, on my regular cruises on both lines, I didn't find much of interest.

 

Pastries - n/a.  I rarely bother with pastries on cruises.

 

Coffee bar - n/a.  I'm not a coffee drinker.

 

Friendliness and competence of staff - even.  No complaints; most everyone on both lines went out of their way to try to make me happy.

 

Friendliness of the other cruisers - even.  I found Celebrity had more extensive travelers - on cruise ships and other ways of getting around.  Ruby had a big group of newbie cruisers; they were a lot of fun to interact with.

 

Cookies - n/a.  I choose other things for my empty calories.

 

Desserts - even.  I'm not big on desserts when cruising.  But the ones I tried were all right.

 

Overall food - Celebrity.  I'll note that I've only dined in the buffet on both lines.  Celebrity always had food of good quality and quantity when I was there.  Princess?  Not so much.  And their buffet design is less efficient that it really should be - especially on the Ruby.

 

Cocktails - n/a.  Coffee isn't the only thing I don't drink.

 

Beds - even.  Both gave me more pillows than I wanted, but that's a minor thing.

 

Activities - even.  No major differences noted.

 

App - even.  Celebrity's app is good but less ambitious.  Princess' Medallion App is much more ambitious, but everything doesn't work all the time.

 

Spa - n/a.  Not a place I hang out.

 

Toiletries - even.  Both cover the basics well.

 

Ice cream - n/a.  Another thing I don't consume.

 

Burgers - even.  Neither are in the Guy's neighborhood, but they're suitable for ordinary use.

 

Casino - Celebrity.  It's brighter, less confusing to walk around, and even offers some gaming lessons.

 

Dining room service - n/a.  See "Overall food" above for my experience at the trough.

 

Overall ship condition - Celebrity.  I've only been on the Summit and Millennium on Celebrity - none of the newer ones.  Both were kept up very well, IMHO.  The Ruby had a few signs of wear and tear, fewer on the Regal or Majestic.

 

Other - Princess.  I've had good luck dealing with their customer service department on my pandemic canceled cruise, dealing with the gift card department, even writing random letters to John Boy in Santa Clarita.

Thanks, great to see another comparison.  And I wish I didn't eat the cookies, desserts and ice cream but sweets are my thing!  🙂

[basor]

55 minutes ago, Dar & Bob said:

@lakegirl16 I agree with most of your assessments.

We just started cruising with X in April 2022 and have been on the Edge, the Equinox and the Apex.  On Princess most recently we have been on the Regal, Sky and  Grand. The Grand IMO was not in decent shape.  Also we had issues with so many things (internet, wrong charges and cabin noise) that we were in line at Guest services a number of our vacation hours so we will never sail less than Royal class again.

The food I agree is about even, however on the Sky the meals in the MDR were really lacking, overcooked, cold etc and we did send them back a couple of times.

As far as entertainment for us on all the Princess ships the production shows were like a high school musical.  The entertainment on the Equinox was very good and the Edge class ships the shows were fabulous with musical groups in Eden, the Grand Piazza, in the Club etc.  Some nights it was hard to decide where to go - too many great choices.

We will still cruise Princess, but right now I am put off by not being able to select a cabin of my choice and instead being put into a guarantee.  If they continue my FCD may be getting refunded.   

The only time you do not have the option of choosing your specific cabin is if that category is getting very close to being sold out so only offer a guarantee.  Did you try choosing a different category where you can choose your specific cabin?

[PacnGoNow]

21 minutes ago, Honolulu Blue said:

Thank you for sharing your comparisons.  This is a very interesting format.  I hope you don't mind if I steal it for the next few minutes.  

 

I've been on five Celebrity ships, the last being the Summit in March.  I've been on three Princess ships - Regal, Majestic, and Ruby - the latter being my last sailing on Princess back in April.

 

I should note that two of my Celebrity cruises and two of my Princess cruises were themed cruises.  I'll try to note when they affect things.

 

OK, here goes:

 

TV and VODs - even.  I don't cruise much for TV.  I can't say that I've watched any television programming on either cruise line.  I've sampled some of the VODs on both.  The themed cruises offered a better selection here than normal.

 

Internet - even.  I've had good luck with Princess, even without Starlink.  The pings can be long and the speeds are erratic, but I had few problems streaming.  It's relatively cheap for a cruise line, especially for those with status. On Celebrity, I'm convinced their basic plan (RIP, except for their all included) is throttled at 1 mbps down.  Premium is faster, but costly at $35/day.  They have Starlink on all their ships now.

 

Embarkation/disembarkation - Celebrity.  I've always been able to get on and off smoothly with Celebrity.  In fact, I've often been able to be one of the first ones off the ship even when not trying to do so.  I had a big issue with Princess on the Ruby when I was stuck in line with the other 90% or more who didn't have their Medallion sent to them.  That took an extra half hour that I didn't want to give up.

 

Entertainment - Celebrity.  On one of my non-charters on the Millennium, we had a production show and a soloist of interest in the main theater.  They were good.  And the entertainment on the themed cruises was outstanding (as expected, and as I paid for).  Otherwise, on my regular cruises on both lines, I didn't find much of interest.

 

Pastries - n/a.  I rarely bother with pastries on cruises.

 

Coffee bar - n/a.  I'm not a coffee drinker.

 

Friendliness and competence of staff - even.  No complaints; most everyone on both lines went out of their way to try to make me happy.

 

Friendliness of the other cruisers - even.  I found Celebrity had more extensive travelers - on cruise ships and other ways of getting around.  Ruby had a big group of newbie cruisers; they were a lot of fun to interact with.

 

Cookies - n/a.  I choose other things for my empty calories.

 

Desserts - even.  I'm not big on desserts when cruising.  But the ones I tried were all right.

 

Overall food - Celebrity.  I'll note that I've only dined in the buffet on both lines.  Celebrity always had food of good quality and quantity when I was there.  Princess?  Not so much.  And their buffet design is less efficient that it really should be - especially on the Ruby.

 

Cocktails - n/a.  Coffee isn't the only thing I don't drink.

 

Beds - even.  Both gave me more pillows than I wanted, but that's a minor thing.

 

Activities - even.  No major differences noted.

 

App - even.  Celebrity's app is good but less ambitious.  Princess' Medallion App is much more ambitious, but everything doesn't work all the time.

 

Spa - n/a.  Not a place I hang out.

 

Toiletries - even.  Both cover the basics well.

 

Ice cream - n/a.  Another thing I don't consume.

 

Burgers - even.  Neither are in the Guy's neighborhood, but they're suitable for ordinary use.

 

Casino - Celebrity.  It's brighter, less confusing to walk around, and even offers some gaming lessons.

 

Dining room service - n/a.  See "Overall food" above for my experience at the trough.

 

Room service - Celebrity, I suppose.  Celebrity has a limited menu that's been consistently delivered to me in a decent amount of time (30 minutes or so).  Princess' history with me is very interesting.  On the Regal, room service (which I used a lot; blame the pandemic) was fantastic - 10-20 minutes for meals.  Did I mention that the ship was under 30% full.  On the Majestic, RS was 20-35 minutes.  That ship was around 75% full.  The Ruby was full and it seemed to show.  My first room service delivery was done in 45 minutes - not good.  The other one failed to be delivered in 90 minutes, so I canceled it.  Now you understand why I've soured on Princess room service.  I'm not encouraged to try again, but maybe I will, someday.

 

Overall ship condition - Celebrity.  I've only been on the Summit and Millennium on Celebrity - none of the newer ones.  Both were kept up very well, IMHO.  The Ruby had a few signs of wear and tear, fewer on the Regal or Majestic.

 

Other - Princess.  I've had good luck dealing with their customer service department on my pandemic canceled cruise, dealing with the gift card department, even writing random letters to John Boy in Santa Clarita.

X charges for RS, and PCL does not.  Big difference. Also, why was Summit your favorite?  TIA

[Dar & Bob]

27 minutes ago, basor said:

The only time you do not have the option of choosing your specific cabin is if that category is getting very close to being sold out so only offer a guarantee.  Did you try choosing a different category where you can choose your specific cabin?

I’ve tried booking several different cabin classes on different ships and itineraries. From other discussions on the board this is the way they are going now

[snoozecrooze]

2 hours ago, lakegirl16 said:

Television - Celebrity.  I know we don’t cruise to watch TV but Princess TV is terrible.

Most of the big points have already been discussed, so I'll leave those as is, but this small one stood out to me lol. I don't care too much for the Live TV offerings (they're really about the same across both lines) but Princess's on-demand television offerings are good enough that they're not... "terrible", are they? What happened here?

[Honolulu Blue]

43 minutes ago, PacnGoNow said:

X charges for RS, and PCL does not.  Big difference. Also, why was Summit your favorite?  TIA

You're right.  I used RS on Celebrity when they didn't charge and haven't used it since they started charging.  Though Princess does have extra cost items on their room service menu, and they charge for drinks.

 

It's hard to say why I like the Summit more than the Millennium, the two Celebrity ships I've been on.  Perhaps if I'd been on the Revolutionized Millie first, I might have liked that one more.  I guess I'm at the point where I know where at least some of the good cabins are on the Summit.  And its layout is familiar and comfortable.

[nwnittany]

Is there a rule of thumb as to which (X vs PCL) is cheaper for similar rooms, similar ports/itineraries ? 

[reedprincess]

28 minutes ago, nwnittany said:

Is there a rule of thumb as to which (X vs PCL) is cheaper for similar rooms, similar ports/itineraries ? 

Generally speaking, Princess is less expensive than Celebrity when it comes to booking prices, but of course - that varies..

 

And, not generally speaking but very specifically - Celebrity is more expensive aboard - drink prices, beverage packages, specialty restaurants, room service delivery charge 24/7, charge for extra lobster tail, and so forth.. 

 

[Reba 954]

3 hours ago, lakegirl16 said:

I've always considered these two lines more similar than different.  We just returned from 10 Day Ruby Princess Round Trip Alaska.  Most recent Celebrity Sailing was December 2022, Mexican Riviera on the Solstice.  Both of these ships were built around the same time.

 

I know this comparison is subjective and every ship is different, many will say the opposite of my opinions but wanted to share my thoughts.  Happy to answer any questions.   

 

In no particular order, here's my thoughts ... 

 

Television - Celebrity.  I know we don’t cruise to watch TV but Princess TV is terrible.  

 

Internet - Celebrity.  Internet on the Ruby Princess was not good, very slow.  In fairness, the Solstice had just gotten Starlink and we were sailing south and not north.

 

Embarkation  / Disembarkation - Even. 

Although I heard passengers complain it took them 1.5 hours in the 12:30 boarding group on the Ruby.

 

Entertainment - Princess. We found the shows on the Solstice in December very average.  Star Princess shows were great.  I also like the wide variety of musical entertainment in the bars on Princess.

 

Pastries - Celebrity - I always felt like the pastries I had on the Ruby were a bit dry.  One exception, the almond croissant.

 

Coffee bar - Celebrity - Location, setting and coffee selection.  Service on the Ruby was terrible.

 

Friendliness - Celebrity.  I found a lot of staff on Ruby didn’t speak at all.

 

Cookies- celebrity.  Princess cookies were dry and hard.

 

Overall food - even.  I thought both had good and not so good selections.  My one concern on the Star was often my food wasn't hot.  Not cold, just not hot.

 

Desserts - slight to Celebrity.  I can’t believe Princess changed the Love Boat Dream to Raspberry!

 

Cocktails - Celebrity - Martini bar, big plus.

 

Beds - Even.  I always sleep great at sea

 

Activities- slight to Princess.  I love BINGO! 

 

Apps -  Celebrity hands down.  Princess app is pretty worthless, can’t see menus unless you are booked in the restaurant.  

 

Spa - even.  Although I had a pedicure on Princess and first time ever she didn’t try to sell me any products!! 

 

Toiletries - Princess love the hand soap

 

Ice cream -  Celebrity - love the Gelato!

 

Casino -Celebrity - smoking on Princess is a no go for me.

 

Dining Room Service - I’m not going to compare because our last cruise on Celebrity we were in a Sky Suite.  I will say service on the Ruby was so so.  In general servers were not terribly friendly.  We ate in the main dining room 4 nights.  Only one of those nights did we have a server who introduced himself, gave recommendations and was engaging.  Wait times went from really poor to good.  We had one lunch that took an hour and 20 minutes.  

 

Overall Ship Condition - Celebrity.  

The Star Princess is looking pretty ratty. Rusted off parts on our balcony.  Furniture in Wheelhouse, leather peeling off couches, looks terrible.  Before we sailed on the Solstice, I read lots of reviews saying the ship was in poor condition, I never noticed anything.  I don't really "look" for problems because I'm enjoying my cruise. These things on the Star, I didn't have to look for, they were obvious.

 

Gelato!!!!!??????   You got lucky.  We were on the Beyond 3 months ago....no gelato at all!!!

[kywildcatfanone]

We only have one Celebrity cruise and 26 with Princess, but we did enjoy our Celebrity cruise and have another booked in October.  The service was great.  But they have already removed one nice perk we had from the last cruise, the ability to order from the DR menu for room service, so I'm disappointed in that.

TV selections were way better on Princess, but we were on the Infinity, and it had not been revolutionized yet.  Will be on the Equinox in October, so will compare, but Princess on demand programming is outstanding.

Only had basic wifi on Infinity, and it was legit terrible.  Princess internet has been decent to good, even able to stream some here and there.

 

I will have a better comparison after this next sailing.  Princess is generally cheaper, and the AI options on Celebrity seem to double the price.  

[lakegirl16]

1 hour ago, snoozecrooze said:

Most of the big points have already been discussed, so I'll leave those as is, but this small one stood out to me lol. I don't care too much for the Live TV offerings (they're really about the same across both lines) but Princess's on-demand television offerings are good enough that they're not... "terrible", are they? What happened here?

To clarify, I was referring  to the Live TV offerings and thought Celebrity had more offerings.  Perhaps I am not remembering correctly.  I didn't use the On Demand.

 

 

[dlh015]

I would only differ in the TV others have posted.

 

On the Regal Princess, in a suite, the On Demand selection was absolutely incredible!!

 

On the Equinox, in a suite, the On Demand was absymal. I was actually shocked at the very few choices. (Fortunately, I had brought my fire stick and hence it was not an issue.)

 

I certainly agree with Honolulu Blue about the buffet layout on the Ruby...rather stuffy and lord help you if it's really busy!! I completely rearranged by dining schedule because of that... 

Edited June 11, 2023 by dlh015

[Ken the cruiser]

1 hour ago, nwnittany said:

Is there a rule of thumb as to which (X vs PCL) is cheaper for similar rooms, similar ports/itineraries ? 

I just got finished posting the below on a Celebrity thread, but thought it would be fitting to post here as well.

 

Here’s a fun fact. If you add the Princess Plus Package to any of their refundable deposit bookings, it’s a flat $60 per person per day, regardless of your loyalty level or cabin category. If you add the Celebrity All Included package and upgrade the Basic Internet package to Premium, which would make it comparable to what you get with the Princess Internet service, it’s about $95 (or $82 for AI + $13 with the elite discount) per person per day. Then for me to get Baileys and Moscato included with my Celebrity AI package, I have to also upgrade the Classic beverage package to Premium, which is another $20 pp/day making it $115 pp/day to match what we’re getting with the $60 pp/day Princess Plus package. Sorry, Celebrity’s AI prices are getting a little crazy if you stop and do the math.
 

Then there is the ridiculous $100 pp/day cost difference, at least on our July 2024 12-day Apex cruise in Norway, when booking a Celebrity NRD booking versus a RD booking, while Princess bookings are all refundable unless you choose one of the cheapest guarantee cabin categories, which we never do.
 

Don’t get me wrong, we will still continue to book cruises with Celebrity when they have an awesome itinerary like going to the Galapagos, or a cruise to Norway when they include 2 days cruising above the Arctic Circle, or a cruise that docks in New Orleans for 3 days in 2025 during Mardi Gras. But Princess also has quite the selection of way more unique 3-5 week itineraries at much more reasonable prices. 

 

Edited June 11, 2023 by Ken the cruiser

[Purplsmurf]

Which drink package did you have on Princess? We booked before the change so technically we have the Plus with drinks up to $12, but I have “heard” that we will be allowed drinks up to $15. The only reason it affects me is wondering if it will be a $5 or $8 up charge for champagne. Don’t want to upgrade to premier because we both have to upgrade and everything my husband drinks is in the plus package. 

[Ken the cruiser]

14 minutes ago, Purplsmurf said:

Which drink package did you have on Princess? We booked before the change so technically we have the Plus with drinks up to $12, but I have “heard” that we will be allowed drinks up to $15. The only reason it affects me is wondering if it will be a $5 or $8 up charge for champagne. Don’t want to upgrade to premier because we both have to upgrade and everything my husband drinks is in the plus package. 

Here’s how to check to see what you currently have on your booking. Log onto your Personalizer, and go to your booking. Then click Payments and Credits, and then click on the Princess Plus Upgrade Now button.

 

This is what shows up on our booking, even though we booked it when it was $40 pp/day

 

 

[could travel all the time]

3 hours ago, Ken the cruiser said:

I just got finished posting the below on a Celebrity thread, but thought it would be fitting to post here as well.

 

Here’s a fun fact. If you add the Princess Plus Package to any of their refundable deposit bookings, it’s a flat $60 per person per day, regardless of your loyalty level or cabin category. If you add the Celebrity All Included package and upgrade the Basic Internet package to Premium, which would make it comparable to what you get with the Princess Internet service, it’s about $95 (or $82 for AI + $13 with the elite discount) per person per day. Then for me to get Baileys and Moscato included with my Celebrity AI package, I have to also upgrade the Classic beverage package to Premium, which is another $20 pp/day making it $115 pp/day to match what we’re getting with the $60 pp/day Princess Plus package. Sorry, Celebrity’s AI prices are getting a little crazy if you stop and do the math.
 

Then there is the ridiculous $100 pp/day cost difference, at least on our July 2024 12-day Apex cruise in Norway, when booking a Celebrity NRD booking versus a RD booking, while Princess bookings are all refundable unless you choose one of the cheapest guarantee cabin categories, which we never do.
 

Don’t get me wrong, we will still continue to book cruises with Celebrity when they have an awesome itinerary like going to the Galapagos, or a cruise to Norway when they include 2 days cruising above the Arctic Circle, or a cruise that docks in New Orleans for 3 days in 2025 during Mardi Gras. But Princess also has quite the selection of way more unique 3-5 week itineraries at much more reasonable prices. 

 

So right you are!! 
And for me, the infinite balcony’s on the newer ships also made me see what else is out there. 
Going on our first Princess cruise. Both excited and a little nervous to be honest 😬
 

[bjkTX]

8 hours ago, nwnittany said:

Is there a rule of thumb as to which (X vs PCL) is cheaper for similar rooms, similar ports/itineraries ? 

I admit to never having cruised with X although they were the cruise line that first got me interested in cruising - 26 cruises ago.  I have looked at various X cruises lately and loyalty benefits aside I just couldn't convince myself to pay the difference.  For example: A 7 day Alaska cruise out of Seattle next May in a standard balcony cabin with either the Princess Plus Package or the X All Included fare (refundable) was over $1,000 more on X.  I haven't seen anything in this thread that makes them worth an extra $1,000.  One of the great things about cruising - we have lots of options 🙂

[nimiq]

Here is my thought on these 2 lines. 
First I think both product give a good value for a great vacation. 

Where I’m most disappointed with Princess is in the refurbishment of the older ships. I don’t think they do as great as a job as X does with there’s and that why I tend not cruise on the older Princess ships. 

 

I do love the Royal class done Royal and Regal but the Edge Class done Apex and Beyond have blown us away. 
 

Next cruise is on the Enchanted so let’s hope with all the new additions and differences from her sisters that she will make us Princess proud again. 

Sea Ya 

Thanks for the comparison by the way poster 🙂

Eric