Thinking of jumping ship

[Cruise Raider]

41 minutes ago, suzyed said:

One day we will try HAL....just wish loyalty status transferred between Carnival Corp. companies.  On HAL, we'll have to start at square one.

We’ve cruised on HAL a few times in the past and really enjoyed it.  While it may be hard to give up the loyalty perks, it’s definitely worth a try.  
 

 

[Lady Arwen]

22 minutes ago, suzyed said:

Curious...how are the loyalty level benefits better?

Elite+ on Celebrity 

 

Complimentary daily cocktail party from 5-7:30.  As many drinks as you want, no limit

Exclusive breakfast lounge for all stateroom categories 

2 bags of laundry per person per week

2 dry clean items per person per week

15% discount on specialty restaurants 

35% discount on internet 

10% discount on all bev packages

Priority tender service

Priority embarkation and disembarkation lounge

15% spa service discount

 

Obviously, the daily drink allowance is a big deal for many people.  This also apples to Elite level as well as Elite+.  Important for many people is that these benefits apply regardless of cabin category.  Inside cabin folk get exactly the same as everyone else.

 

I will let you look up Princess Elite loyalty level benefits to do your comparison.

 

I think the free alcoholic beverages everyday far exceeds what Princess offers.

 

 

 

Edited January 22 by Lady Arwen

[TRLD]

19 hours ago, Hlitner said:

We are very critical of where HAL has gone (in the past few years) with entertainment.  It started before COVID when HAL decided to completely eliminate "Production Shows."  Instead, they sometimes had an onboard dance company (Step One Dancers) that did a dancing show (no singing).  However, after a few of those shows it all seemed alike.  HAL then decided to eliminate their wonderful piano bars (and players) and on some ships they added a duel piano venue (not truly dueling pianos) where they played limited sets.  More recently, HAL eliminated their Lincoln Center Stage groups (classical music) with those dedicated venues mostly dark in the evening.  

 

HAL did a great job when they decided (about 10 years ago) to start their BB King venues which were pick-up bands that played a variety of rock, BB King stuff, disco, etc.  But now, even that has been eliminated and replaced with their "Rolling Stone Lounge" with something similar to the BB King idea.  HAL is the only major cruise line, we have cruised, where they will sometimes have "dark nights" (with no main entertainment) or simply show a documentary movie (usually a BBC production) in their main theater and call it the main evening's entertainment.

 

Hank

Lately (last 6 to 9 month) they have been adding singers back into their One Step shows, making them much more like their old production shows, though a bit more active, their old production shows prior to the move to one step seemed like a Lawrence Welk revival as far as energy level.  

[elaine5]

45 minutes ago, suzyed said:

Are you saying they have smoking in the music venues?  Or just nearby?

Smoking is in casino on deck 3, which is above those deck 2 venues with an open staircase. Seating towards midship is fine; seating on the perimeter towards front is not if you are sensitive to smoke. BB King's is further midship and is not affected by casino smoking. 

[TRLD]

22 minutes ago, Lady Arwen said:

Elite+ on Celebrity 

 

Complimentary daily cocktail party from 5-7:30.  As many drinks as you want, no limit

Exclusive breakfast lounge for all stateroom categories 

2 bags of laundry per person per week

2 dry clean items per person per week

15% discount on specialty restaurants 

35% discount on internet 

10% discount on all bev packages

Priority tender service

Priority embarkation and disembarkation lounge

15% spa service discount

 

Obviously, the daily drink allowance is a big deal for many people.  This also apples to Elite level as well as Elite+.  Important for many people is that these benefits apply regardless of cabin category.  Inside cabin folk get exactly the same as everyone else.

 

I will let you look up Princess Elite loyalty level benefits to do your comparison.

 

I think the free alcoholic beverages everyday far exceeds what Princess offers.

 

 

 

Free drinks make a difference only if one does not have a package, which is one of the things that people criticize on Princess (that packages reduce the value of the package purchases).  If one has a package the value on both lines are substantially reduced.  Since we do longer tips and cruises we find the value of the laundry and the 50% reduction in the internet cost to be of higher value than Celebrities cocktail party, 2 bags and 35% reduction.  Mostly a wash unless you want to crowd several drinks into the cocktail party each night.

 

Neither is enough for us to be our primary factor in determining what line to take any given cruise.  For us it all comes down to itinerary and the cost.  For us on a 14 day cruise Princess gets a $500 advantage due to Stock and Veterans OBC, with Elite benefits adding about another $350.  

 

Since we drink at most 1 drink per day (other than coffee) the Celebrity benefits end up coming in about the same without the OBC.  Got rid of RCL stock because it is far more difficult to get the benefit. Too many rules that impact when one can get it.

 

 

Princess Elite Benefits

 

50% reduction on Internet

Free laundry

Free minibar setup

10% off shore excursions

Free Wine tasting event

Priority Tender Service

Reduced Price Travel Insurance

10% Spa discount

10% Store discount

 

 

Edited January 22 by TRLD

[TRLD]

11 minutes ago, elaine5 said:

Smoking is in casino on deck 3, which is above those deck 2 venues with an open staircase. Seating towards midship is fine; seating on the perimeter towards front is not if you are sensitive to smoke. BB King's is further midship and is not affected by casino smoking. 

Pretty much the same on some of the Princess Royal class such as Discovery where you get smoke from the Casino wafting into the Piazza on deck 6 impacting Crooners and Ocean Terrace Sushi Bar.

[Lady Arwen]

5 minutes ago, TRLD said:

Free drinks make a difference only if one does not have a package, which is one of the things that people criticize on Princess (that packages reduce the value of the package purchases).  If one has a package the value on both lines are substantially reduced.  Since we do longer tips and cruises we find the value of the laundry and the 50% reduction in the internet cost to be of higher value than Celebrities cocktail party and 35% reduction.  Mostly a wash unless you want to crowd several drinks into the cocktail party each night.

 

Neither is enough for us to be our primary factor in determining what line to take any given cruise.  For us it all comes down to itinerary and the cost.  For us on a 14 day cruise Princess gets a $500 advantage due to Stock and Veterans OBC, with Elite benefits adding about another $350.  

 

Since we drink at most 1 drink per day (other than coffee) the Celebrity benefits end up coming in about the same without the OBC.  Got rid of RCL stock because it is far more difficult to get the benefit. Too many rules that impact when one can get it.

 

 

Princess Elite Benefits

 

50% reduction on Internet

Free laundry

Free minibar setup

10% off shore excursions

Free Wine tasting event

Priority Tender Service

Reduced Price Travel Insurance

10% Spa discount

10% Store discount

 

 

If it works for you, then that’s great!  Everyone has their own needs and expectations.  What works for some, doesn’t for others,  it’s each individual’s perspective on what’s important to them.  Celebrity works better for us. Oh, and most importantly no indoor smoking on any Celebrity ship including the casino.  On Princess you have to run by the casino so as not to have your clothes smell like a dirty ashtray.

Edited January 22 by Lady Arwen

[TRLD]

57 minutes ago, suzyed said:

I have only sailed on Celebrity once and they matched our RCI status so that was nice. I kept hearing how we were going to LOVE Celebrity over Princess and I just never felt like they offered anything beyond Princess....perhaps equal to but for more money.  Honestly, first time sailing on any cruise line, you have to "learn" the ship and the company but didn't feel like Celebrity had more offerings, with the exception of the free drinks in the evening Elite lounge.. (Princess' are discounted rather than free in the lounge) but now if you have a drink package the point is moot.  Bingo was bedlam on Celebrity with them running out of Bingo card and seats to sit in and play....LOL!

I was at a free Elite winetasing on Celebrity and the woman next to me kept raving about how much better  Celebrity is than other cruise lines so out of curiosity I asked what she liked best about Celebrity's offerings and everything she named, was equal to Princess.   So in the end, I have to conclude that each cruise line has their own "flavor" and we just have to find which flavor we like best!

Cruise lines are a lot like religions, they have their fanatics, believers, and converts. Once someone converts they often feel like they have to spend a great deal of time trying to convert believers from their old line.

 

Kind of like the old Microsoft vs Apple debates in the tech world.

 

NA focused cruise lines are a lot more similar than not.  With somewhat larger divisions between family oriented main stream brands( NCL, RCCL, CCL), and adult oriented main stream brands (Celebrity, HAL and Princess).  With ever more differences between mainstream and premium or luxury.

 

They each have different pros and cons (some of which shift from ship to ship or cruise to cruise).  Between the adult focused mainstream lines Hals biggest advantage is smallest average ship size, longest average itinerary length, and most destinations.  Celebrity is second smallest in average ship size but the shortest average itinerary length and the fewest destinations.  Princess has the largest ship size, and is in the middle with average itinerary length and number of different destinations.  With the Sun class Princess may be pushing a bit more towards family focused, but still in the adult focused category.  Celebrity has more of a class system, Princess is moving in that direction with the Sun Class, HAL has the least of a class system.

 

As far as ship layout, entertainment, food  that pretty much all comes down to personal preference.

To each their own.

Edited January 22 by TRLD

[Lady Arwen]

3 minutes ago, TRLD said:

Cruise lines are a lot like religions, they have their fanatics, believers, and converts. Once someone converts they often feel like they have to spend a great deal of time trying to convert believers from their old line.

 

Kind of like the old Microsoft vs Apple debates in the tech world.

 

To each their own.

Why would anyone want to “convert” others to their choice of cruiseline?  Most people sail on more than one and often 3 or 4.  I don’t care what cruiseline people choose.  I only care about which one or ones that make me the happiest and meets my expectations.  Everyone is very capable of making their own decisions.  We’re here for guidance only when requested and not to convert anyone.

[TRLD]

9 minutes ago, Lady Arwen said:

Why would anyone want to “convert” others to their choice of cruiseline?  Most people sail on more than one and often 3 or 4.  I don’t care what cruiseline people choose.  I only care about which one or ones that make me the happiest and meets my expectations.  Everyone is very capable of making their own decisions.  We’re here for guidance only when requested and not to convert anyone.

Look at posts here on Cruise Critics many examples of people saying that they will never cruise on a line again, select another and then come back and do many posts about why they changed and how bad the old line was and how much better the new line is.

 

Never said you were, only was responding to Suzyeds post about the women saying everything was better on one line when they were really pretty much the same.

 

In our case we are on 7 lines this next year about the same as last year. 

Edited January 22 by TRLD

[rj59]

Other cutbacks/annoyances I thought of from recent HAL cruises:  Almost all dining room staff are male Indonesians, which is sexist and racist, no matter how HAL fans try to justify it. They cut out lobster, except as an upsell option, and their 'prawns' are just regular shrimp. They cut out creme brulee on the MDR menu, but you can ask for it. They do have scoop ice cream in the buffet, unlike Princess. Smoke gets in the Rolling Stone/Billboard areas on the newer ships, but then smoke on Royal class ships also seeped far out of the casino. Big plus: ships pre-Koningsdam have a wide wraparound wooden promenade outside with chairs, which none of the Princess ones do, unless you count the two-level ones (often with smoking areas you have to walk past) where you have to climb stairs at the front end. I'd say HAL has a much better ship layout, with two inside decks with venues on each sides, whereas you only can go on starboard side from front-rear on Princess ships, which creates bad congestion and weird layouts, like having to go all the way aft and down a deck to get to a rear MDR. HAL doesn't have any central piazza/atrium with activities, nor is there really room for one on the Lido deck, but you do get a retractable roof on them, whereas the wind and cold is brutal on Princess ships on coastal/Alaska trips, and you get a wonderful crow's nest for enjoying front views--I hate that Princess doesn't have that option, except on Majestic.  Room service is also still free, and best of all, MDR dinner items are included in room service, so I often order that way if I don't want to deal with a crowded dining room. One thing I hate, hate, hate--HAL tries to enforce boarding times in San Diego, so I showed up at 12 last time and they wanted me to come back after 2, they force people to wait in designated boarding time lanes, and I saw a lot of miserable people sitting in the sun with all their luggage. Not having Medallions also makes everything a little more difficult on HAL, including having to sign drink receipts, which i hate. I think their have-it-all includes an excursion and specialty dining, unlike Princess, which just gets you repulsive candy/ice cream floats and the pizza restaurant that used to be free. 

 

I think I'm going to jump ship, too. The new steep rise in wifi cost was I think the last straw, after dropping the free pizza, ocean now delivery, and room service, and the steep fare increases with sold out ships. I get military/shareholder OBC, so there's no need for Plus, but now not having it makes me feel like a second-class citizen. I just couldn't stand the idea of being on a sold-out Crown next month to Mexico, with it's sad old decor and cattle pen buffet stations and the really horrible theater seating design where everyone in a row has to stand anytime anyone ones to get into a middle seat, as well as freezing outside until the ship gets closer to Cabo. I have Elite, but $20 of minibar drinks and free laundry doesn't feel worth it, especially those with Plus get privileges like pizza and Medallion home delivery, which was one of my favorite ways of getting excited about a cruise. I've had more fun on Celebrity lately, whose entertainment and ship design put both Princess and HAL to shame (and their casinos are all smoke-free), and I found a couple of bargains on Virgin, which I suspect I'll love, even if they don't go to West coast ports that I prefer, and they include tips/wifi/soda/usually $100s in free drinks/status matching. 

[Lady Arwen]

3 minutes ago, TRLD said:

Look at posts here on Cruise Critics many examples of people saying that they will never cruise on a line again, select another and then come back and do many posts about why they changed and how bad the old line was and how much better the new line is.

 

In our case we are on 7 lines this next year about the same as last year. 

Those members are merely expressing their opinions.  I don’t recall ever reading a post by a member trying to convert anyone to their favourite cruiseline.  

[TRLD]

2 minutes ago, Lady Arwen said:

Those members are merely expressing their opinions.  I don’t recall ever reading a post by a member trying to convert anyone to their favourite cruiseline.  

One could say the same about Microsoft vs Apple or religious debates.  A lot of similarity here with cruise line favorites.

[Lady Arwen]

4 minutes ago, TRLD said:

One could say the same about Microsoft vs Apple or religious debates.  A lot of similarity here with cruise line favorites.

I’m sorry, but I think that you’re overthinking this.  Yes, people try to convert others to their religion.  We’re talking about cruising here on CC.   Nobody is that dedicated to a particular cruiseline.   We share opinions, information and anecdotes.  And that is all it is.

 

Good evening.

[Hobby3333]

1 hour ago, Lady Arwen said:

I’m sorry, but I think that you’re overthinking this.  Yes, people try to convert others to their religion.  We’re talking about cruising here on CC.   Nobody is that dedicated to a particular cruiseline.   We share opinions, information and anecdotes.  And that is all it is.

 

Good evening.

I have never been on a bad cruise.  Some have been better than others but I have always enjoyed cruising.   I have been on over 50 cruises and very happy that I have gotten to experience the what each line and ship has to offer.  Can’t wait to sail Princess Sun in July.

[suzyed]

3 hours ago, Lady Arwen said:

Elite+ on Celebrity 

 

Complimentary daily cocktail party from 5-7:30.  As many drinks as you want, no limit

Exclusive breakfast lounge for all stateroom categories 

2 bags of laundry per person per week

2 dry clean items per person per week

15% discount on specialty restaurants 

35% discount on internet 

10% discount on all bev packages

Priority tender service

Priority embarkation and disembarkation lounge

15% spa service discount

 

Obviously, the daily drink allowance is a big deal for many people.  This also apples to Elite level as well as Elite+.  Important for many people is that these benefits apply regardless of cabin category.  Inside cabin folk get exactly the same as everyone else.

 

I will let you look up Princess Elite loyalty level benefits to do your comparison.

 

I think the free alcoholic beverages everyday far exceeds what Princess offers.

 

 

 

Right...I am aware of Princess Elite benefits. Princess does not provide free drinks in the lounge and that is a nice Celebrity perk. But the majority of folks get one of the packages which include 15 free alcohol drink per day. The breakfast lounge is a nice perk...one we may use but we usually get room service breakfast on Princess. I did take advantage of that the one time I sailed celebrity.
 

We use the unlimited free laundry service on Princess since we usually are on longer cruises.  Some of the others: priority tender and embarkation and disembarkation lounge, are also on Princess. 

Princess now has the packages that I mentioned earlier...we get the Plus package which includes the 15 alcohol drinks including the service charge up to $15 per day, unlimited specialty coffees and teas, unlimited bottled water, sodas, juices, as well as 2 specialty dessert/day, 2 fitness classes, 2 casual dining menus.  It also includes free wifi on one device per person, and all gratuities.  The Premier package include all of the above but drinks up to $20, plus 2 specialty dining meals, unlimited casual dining meals, "prizes" every time you open the door to your room, photo package and a few other goodies.
Oh and Elites get a free stocked Mini Bar( beers, liquor, soda, mixers and water) in their cabin which is restocked each segment (as in B2B)
I'm probably forgetting a few items, but you get the picture.
 

So it sounds like both cruises have some nice perks it's just a matter of finding the one that fits your needs!
Thanks for the info.

[suzyed]

3 hours ago, Lady Arwen said:

Why would anyone want to “convert” others to their choice of cruiseline?  Most people sail on more than one and often 3 or 4.  I don’t care what cruiseline people choose.  I only care about which one or ones that make me the happiest and meets my expectations.  Everyone is very capable of making their own decisions.  We’re here for guidance only when requested and not to convert anyone.

We can all make our own decisions, of course, but it is nice to share the info on the differences and similarities one may not be aware of what's offered on other lines.  I think many folks might be like us and get comfortable on one line (Princess for us) and just don't know what is offered on the others.  So no intention of converted anyone just like to share!
 

[Carolina.girl]

We will be sailing on the Caribbean Princess Feb 18-25, and this will be our first Princess cruise, so looking forward to experiencing the differences between the cruise lines. This was a kind of last-minute decision booking, so not a lot of options between available itineries, which is mostly why we decided to give Princess a try. We have mainly sailed NCL, but tried Celebrity in Feb 2023. Celebrity was a little more expensive, but seemed comparable to NCL in terms of crew and food. The biggest difference was that the majority of Celebrity's guests were retirement age++, which translated to a much more *sedate* vacation week. Not that we are party people...we are far from that now at our age...but a slightly livelier venue is usually fun.

[Lady Arwen]

11 hours ago, suzyed said:

Right...I am aware of Princess Elite benefits. Princess does not provide free drinks in the lounge and that is a nice Celebrity perk. But the majority of folks get one of the packages which include 15 free alcohol drink per day. The breakfast lounge is a nice perk...one we may use but we usually get room service breakfast on Princess. I did take advantage of that the one time I sailed celebrity.
 

We use the unlimited free laundry service on Princess since we usually are on longer cruises.  Some of the others: priority tender and embarkation and disembarkation lounge, are also on Princess. 

Princess now has the packages that I mentioned earlier...we get the Plus package which includes the 15 alcohol drinks including the service charge up to $15 per day, unlimited specialty coffees and teas, unlimited bottled water, sodas, juices, as well as 2 specialty dessert/day, 2 fitness classes, 2 casual dining menus.  It also includes free wifi on one device per person, and all gratuities.  The Premier package include all of the above but drinks up to $20, plus 2 specialty dining meals, unlimited casual dining meals, "prizes" every time you open the door to your room, photo package and a few other goodies.
Oh and Elites get a free stocked Mini Bar( beers, liquor, soda, mixers and water) in their cabin which is restocked each segment (as in B2B)
I'm probably forgetting a few items, but you get the picture.
 

So it sounds like both cruises have some nice perks it's just a matter of finding the one that fits your needs!
Thanks for the info.

We’re Elite with Princess so very aware of the benefits.  We also purchase the Premier package.  Our next sailing is on Enchanted, using up a very hefty FCC.   We hope to get the Sanctuary for our entire cruise at $60.00 for two guests per day.  On Celebrity ships the adult only Solarium with covered pool and hot tub and cafe is complimentary to all guests over 18 years old.
 

 We just find that Celebrity is a better fit for us.  Their non smoking policy is a huge plus for us.  If you are a smoker on a Princess ship you can enjoy your time there.  Non smokers can’t.  

We do find that Princess does offer some great itineraries and embarkation ports.  We love embarking in Southampton for British Isles cruises.  Celebrity uses Amsterdam, which we do not love.  So we’ll continue with Princess if it’s the right itinerary.

 

[Lady Arwen]

11 hours ago, suzyed said:

We can all make our own decisions, of course, but it is nice to share the info on the differences and similarities one may not be aware of what's offered on other lines.  I think many folks might be like us and get comfortable on one line (Princess for us) and just don't know what is offered on the others.  So no intention of converted anyone just like to share!
 

Exactly!  I love to hear about everyone’s sea adventures regardless of cruiseline.

[suzyed]

6 hours ago, Lady Arwen said:

We’re Elite with Princess so very aware of the benefits.  We also purchase the Premier package.  Our next sailing is on Enchanted, using up a very hefty FCC.   We hope to get the Sanctuary for our entire cruise at $60.00 for two guests per day.  On Celebrity ships the adult only Solarium with covered pool and hot tub and cafe is complimentary to all guests over 18 years old.
 

 We just find that Celebrity is a better fit for us.  Their non smoking policy is a huge plus for us.  If you are a smoker on a Princess ship you can enjoy your time there.  Non smokers can’t.  

We do find that Princess does offer some great itineraries and embarkation ports.  We love embarking in Southampton for British Isles cruises.  Celebrity uses Amsterdam, which we do not love.  So we’ll continue with Princess if it’s the right itinerary.

 

We are not smokers. And yes, the smoke is annoying but we don't really notice it unless we're in the Casino and there are usually non smoking areas/machines available.
Our next sailing is Asia starting in Singapore!  We're so excited!   Our last sailing was from Southampton and we did the British Isles, France, Spain, Portugal and a TA home!  Loved it!

[karatemom2]

22 hours ago, Lady Arwen said:

Elite+ on Celebrity 

 

Complimentary daily cocktail party from 5-7:30.  As many drinks as you want, no limit

Exclusive breakfast lounge for all stateroom categories 

2 bags of laundry per person per week

2 dry clean items per person per week

15% discount on specialty restaurants 

35% discount on internet 

10% discount on all bev packages

Priority tender service

Priority embarkation and disembarkation lounge

15% spa service discount

 

Obviously, the daily drink allowance is a big deal for many people.  This also apples to Elite level as well as Elite+.  Important for many people is that these benefits apply regardless of cabin category.  Inside cabin folk get exactly the same as everyone else.

 

I will let you look up Princess Elite loyalty level benefits to do your comparison.

 

I think the free alcoholic beverages everyday far exceeds what Princess offers.

 

 

 

 

Wow, these are impressive. We have been considering trying Celebrity. Can you share how many cruises or days they require to reach this level? Also, any insight on their Casino benefits?

[Lady Arwen]

23 minutes ago, karatemom2 said:

 

Wow, these are impressive. We have been considering trying Celebrity. Can you share how many cruises or days they require to reach this level? Also, any insight on their Casino benefits?

Their system is based on points not number of days.  Elite requires 300 - 749. Elite+ 750-2999 and Zenith which is a very elevated tier.  Points are assigned based on length of cruise and cabin category.  Suites earn more points than interiors.  We are Elite+ and we started sailing with Celebrity in 1992!  We started out with the last expensive cabins and worked our way up.  We also take cruises more than seven nights.  
 

We’re offered complimentary balcony cabins on a very regular basis because of our casino play.  Probably offered at least six times per year.  We have never been offered an inside or ocean view.

Edited January 23 by Lady Arwen

[Z0nker]

On 1/20/2024 at 5:07 PM, charliedalrymple said:

 

Unfortunately, we have to travel during school holidays, as DH is a teacher.

 

If you must travel only during school breaks, I think you have some good choices:

1) HAL, the geriatric line

2) A very expensive line like Crystal, Oceana or Viking.

3) Virgin, which doesn't allow kids at all.

[charliedalrymple]

3 hours ago, Z0nker said:

If you must travel only during school breaks, I think you have some good choices:

1) HAL, the geriatric line

2) A very expensive line like Crystal, Oceana or Viking.

3) Virgin, which doesn't allow kids at all.

 

Viking does not allow children either (along with being very expensive).

 

I think we will try Virgin and HAL for our next couple of cruises.  Geriatric sounds fine to me when compared with the alternative.