Premium Cruise vs Celebrity Suite

[BosoxI]

DW and I have taken many cruises on a variety of cruise lines over the years, but we've never been on a premium cruise ship. I am now considering an oceanview cabin on Crystal, Seabourne, or Regent but when I read some of the CC reviews of those lines, seasoned travelers often have the same complaints Celebrity/Princess/Cunard cruisers have: that service and amenities have diminished over the years. I recognize things are relative and that some people are professional complainers and nit pickers.

 

But my question is simply would you prefer a full suite on a Celebrity/Princess/HA ship or a modest cabin on a premium line. Leave itineraries out of the equation, please. Also, responses only from those who have experienced both situations. Thanks

[ORV]

DW and I have taken many cruises on a variety of cruise lines over the years, but we've never been on a premium cruise ship. I am now considering an oceanview cabin on Crystal, Seabourne, or Regent but when I read some of the CC reviews of those lines, seasoned travelers often have the same complaints Celebrity/Princess/Cunard cruisers have: that service and amenities have diminished over the years. I recognize things are relative and that some people are professional complainers and nit pickers.

 

But my question is simply would you prefer a full suite on a Celebrity/Princess/HA ship or a modest cabin on a premium line. Leave itineraries out of the equation, please. Also, responses only from those who have experienced both situations. Thanks

 

Is the all inclusive aspect of the luxury lines important to you? Many people that don't drink much feel they are subsidizing those that do.

 

I would go for a suite on Celebrity with the premium drink package.

 

Disclaimer--while I have cruised on luxury and Mass Market ships I haven't booked a full suite on Celebrity, although I've been in quite a few of them.

[Project_gal]

We have not cruise on a "premium" cruise line but have been in Celebrity, Royal and Penthouse Suites on Celebrity ships, Penthouse/Owners Suites on Azamara and Penthouse Suite on NCL.

 

For our 40th anniversary we researched the whole market - every ship, every crusie line - and went to two cruise shows in the UK. We set a suitably large budget and had our list of requirements which included a "proper" suite of rooms, two bathrooms, a proper dining table, the freedom to eat in any restaurant we choose as many times as we wanted [but did not mind paying extra for this], ... [the list was longer but I cannot recall it all].

 

We questioned representatives of each cruise line in great detail except for MSC who did not seem to have anyone who spoke English at the London cruise show [go figure!]. We were interested in the whole cruise experience. In the end, cost was not a factor even with the premium lines. OK, Celebrity had an advantage because we understood what their experience would be but not one other cruise line could convince us that we would get the same experience with them.

 

There are a lot of cruise line and it was all a few years ago now and it has all become a fuzzy haze but there was some issue or another with each of them. At least one cruise line, for example, said that we could only eat in a specialty restaurant a llimited number of times.

 

We ended up in a penthouse on Eclipse over the last New Year and had a fantastic cruise.

 

Of course, you may have different requirements. For us, an "all inclusive" cruise does not appeal. For example, we prefer to have a greater selection of wine from which to choose than is usual in an all inclusive environment. We do not take many excursions and object to paying for them to be included in the price. My recommendation is that you sit down and seriously think what you are looking for with your cruise experience. Then ask specific questions of cruise line representatives or preious cruisers.

 

For us, having gone through the exercise, we now understand that our cruise line of choice is Celebrity. Unfortunately, it is also difficult to "downsize" from a PH ...

 

Sue

[dln929]

DW and I have taken many cruises on a variety of cruise lines over the years, but we've never been on a premium cruise ship. I am now considering an oceanview cabin on Crystal, Seabourne, or Regent but when I read some of the CC reviews of those lines, seasoned travelers often have the same complaints Celebrity/Princess/Cunard cruisers have: that service and amenities have diminished over the years. I recognize things are relative and that some people are professional complainers and nit pickers.

 

But my question is simply would you prefer a full suite on a Celebrity/Princess/HA ship or a modest cabin on a premium line. Leave itineraries out of the equation, please. Also, responses only from those who have experienced both situations. Thanks

 

A Celebrity suite is very nice. We had one for 15 nights on our last Equinox cruise and thoroughly enjoyed it. I am a sucker for a nicely appointed, spacious bathroom with a tub and a suite delivers. I liked having our butler lay a pretty table for us on the balcony every morning--very civilized! I liked not having to make any appointments. When we wanted to eat at a specialty restaurant, all I had to do was mention it to our butler and he took care of it. I liked that little tea service in the afternoons. There were lots of things that we liked that made the whole experience one of being wonderfully spoiled! (Of course it helped that we had a fantastic butler whose personality meshed with ours. He really went over the top for us.)

 

We're on Azamara over Christmas and I toyed with the idea that since it was a far more expensive cruise fare than Celebrity, we could get an inside or ocean view. That's as far as it went. I couldn't make a booking! We're in a balcony. It's the lowest grade of balcony but at least we can sit outside whenever we please and get fresh air. In the end, that's what matters to us. We're absolutely ridiculous in our desire for our own balcony. For some people it's not a deal breaker but for us it is. If it were me, I would wait to sail on a premium line until such day that I could get a balcony, even if it were the size of a postage stamp and in an inferior location. ;)

[Gracie115]

Given same itineraries I would pick CS or RS on X .... they are both wonderful suites with great service and the space is wonderful, especially on a longer cruise.

[Cinziaeye]

We did a Mediterranean cruise on Regent 3 years ago in the lowest category room, which was almost the identical size to the Sky Suite we had on a recent M class cruise. Although we have not stayed in a CS or RS on X, I have been in both. While they are lovely, I have a hard time justifying the extra money if I am taking an X cruise since we do not spend a lot of time in the room. The Regent cruise was a special anniversary, so we wanted to splurge, but I haven't been able to rationalize the tremendous price difference on the 4 cruises we have taken since then. If you do take a Regent cruise, there is no difference in the cabin size until you get up to the Penthouse suite. The closet in our suite was a great, big walk-in closet, the bathroom was large and there was plenty of storage space. We had no difficulty getting the excursions we wanted and the dining reservations we wanted without the concierge level amenities, so unless you REALLY need the space, on Regent, IMHO, you should get the lowest category possible.

 

We found the service on Regent to be superb, the restaurants outstanding, and all the included excursions were great. However, if you are looking for a lot of onboard nightlife, stick with X. With only one showtime per night, we missed a lot of the shows while at dinner. The ones we saw were not up to the caliber of X shows. There are also many more "options" for entertainment on X than there were on Regent, but since it was a very port-intensive cruise, we really didn't care.

 

My DH and I are in our mid-50's, and we were clearly two of the youngest on the ship (mid-May cruise), so if you are very young, this might be another consideration for you.

[jerseygirl3]

DW and I have taken many cruises on a variety of cruise lines over the years, but we've never been on a premium cruise ship. I am now considering an oceanview cabin on Crystal, Seabourne, or Regent but when I read some of the CC reviews of those lines, seasoned travelers often have the same complaints Celebrity/Princess/Cunard cruisers have: that service and amenities have diminished over the years. I recognize things are relative and that some people are professional complainers and nit pickers.

 

But my question is simply would you prefer a full suite on a Celebrity/Princess/HA ship or a modest cabin on a premium line. Leave itineraries out of the equation, please. Also, responses only from those who have experienced both situations. Thanks

 

I, personally, have only cruised the mainstream lines, but my sister has cruised everything from Carnival to Celebrity and HAL and all those in between. She also did Oceania in the Mediterranean. She thought it had some very nice aspects (no charge for the specialty restaurants, less passengers). She did get a great price, but I think if she had paid a premium price for it, she would have gone with Celebrity.

 

Having said that, I think for a special occasion and a once-in-a-lifetime experience, you should go for the premium cruise line.

[kitty9]

I've been on the luxury lines quite a few times, but in all honesty, seeing the crazy fares they're charging for those lines, you could do a Royal Suite on Celebrity, dine every night in Muranos, and even with the extra cost for the retaurant, you come out way ahead, cost wise. I've always felt that the food in Muranos is just as good as the main dining room food on Crystal, Seabourn, Regent and Silversea.

[bphman]

I would go with the luxury line for a few reasons. You have fewer people so no crowds and rare lines. Food is much better, service is better and specialty restaurants really are special. We have had full suites in the past on Celebrity, HAL and Princess and, once you leave your cabin, you have a mass market ship. The smaller luxury ships also get better berthing spots and aren't a bus ride from town. And, no nickel and diming with obnoxious announcements. We prefer the all-inclusive idea. I also like being addressed by name which happens on the luxury lines.

[Travel2Learn]

I would go with the luxury line for a few reasons. You have fewer people so no crowds and rare lines. Food is much better, service is better and specialty restaurants really are special. We have had full suites in the past on Celebrity, HAL and Princess and, once you leave your cabin, you have a mass market ship. The smaller luxury ships also get better berthing spots and aren't a bus ride from town. And, no nickel and diming with obnoxious announcements. We prefer the all-inclusive idea. I also like being addressed by name which happens on the luxury lines.

 

I totally agree with bphman. Since 9/12, I have been on Regent b2b2b2b, Crystal twice, and 1 mass market. The smaller ships, no herding or crowds, plus no nickel and diming are preferable by far. Service and food are also way better. Comparing balcony cabins (not suites) Regent is best. I do not go to all of the shows, but of those I have attended, Regent and Crystal were better than mass market. Over the past 10 years, the mass market cruises I've been on were Carnival, RCL, X, and Holland. Some cruises were excellent, others not good.

[WillB]

I've been on the luxury lines quite a few times, but in all honesty, seeing the crazy fares they're charging for those lines, you could do a Royal Suite on Celebrity, dine every night in Muranos, and even with the extra cost for the retaurant, you come out way ahead, cost wise. I've always felt that the food in Muranos is just as good as the main dining room food on Crystal, Seabourn, Regent and Silversea.

 

Yep, Crystal kind of priced me out when they went from 3 ships to 2. And of course they went all inclusive, too.

[kitty9]

Yep, Crystal kind of priced me out when they went from 3 ships to 2. And of course they went all inclusive, too.

 

They stopped getting my business when they went all inclusive and hiked the prices way, way up. Crystal used to be a very good deal for solo cruisers, but their faulty "two for one" crap, which isn't really any kind of a deal, really hacked me off. The uninformed think they're getting some kind of deal with their silly 2-fers, but in reality, it worked out that you're actually paying more for many of their itineraries.

 

Crystal has also stopped doing things that set themselves apart from other lines, things that IMHO, made Crystal special. So now, I don't view them as any more special than other lines, except that you get better food in the MDR. And I don't find their two specialty restaurants to be all that fantastic anymore. Cost cutting has hit the luxury lines just as much as the mainstream lines.

[FloatSomeMore]

Okay, have sailed suites on Celebrity, sailed Silver Seas, Regent (and Radisson prior to being acquired by Regent), and Crystal along with other mainstream lines. In my opinion, there is a difference. The biggest difference is the size of the ships. I enjoy Celebrity and Holland America (not so much because of their smoking policy but love their wine policy) and do not enjoy Princess at all. The Crystal ship was the cleanest ever sailed and their food was the best, hands down and we are foodies! Regent is very enjoyable and easy. Need to do Silver Seas again because they were having management/personnel issues when we sailed with them (chef left the ship with his teddy bear in Cozumel)! We enjoy the smaller ships but do appreciate the larger ships for the diversity of passengers and activities. Food on Celebrity is very good, actually outstanding on the Sillohuette and Reflection. However, the biggest difference is customer service and in my opinion Celebrity is sadly lacking. If you have a TA they will not talk with you even if you have a Celebrity problem. This is not true with Regent, Silver Seas and Crystal. Additionally, the suites are bigger on the smaller lines (as you would expect) with Regent having the largest non-suite space (love their walk-in closests for standard cabin).

 

 

Try a Transatlantic with any premium line, they are the cheapest and you'll have several days to enjoy what makes them premium.

[Dr. Cocktail]

In the past year, I have been fortunate enough to sail on Hal, Celebrity, Oceania and Ponant. I have sailed in Suites before on Celebrity but this past time was in a large aft veranda.

 

In fact, there were only 9 weeks between my cruise in a veranda cabin on the Riviera and my sailing on Summit. There really was no comparison.

For the most part, I loved Riviera - fantastic food, beautiful and luxurious accommodations, no photographers, no loud music by the pool, quality ingredients in all of the dining venues and a very spacious environment.

 

Unfortunately in a suite on Celebrity, you are stuck in the same large dining room with everyone else, you have access to the same crowded decks and the same line-ups whenever you get on or off the ship. I really found the food in the buffets and main dining room marginal although I did enjoy the specialty restaurants.

 

While you could theoretically eat all of your dinners in the specialties on Celebrity (and I have), that still doesn't cover the spectacular lunches and breakfasts I had on Oceania.

 

As I always say, you won't know unless you try!

[sailandcruise]

I find that a large part of my cruise experience, especially when traveling solo, is due to the mix of other passengers on the ship. No one seems to have addressed this; the discussion has been about cabins, food, entertainment, etc. Does anyone have thoughts about how the mix of passengers differs and would affect the choice in the original post on this thread?

[Project_gal]

I find that a large part of my cruise experience, especially when traveling solo, is due to the mix of other passengers on the ship. No one seems to have addressed this; the discussion has been about cabins, food, entertainment, etc. Does anyone have thoughts about how the mix of passengers differs and would affect the choice in the original post on this thread?

 

My comment on this would be that, on smaller ships, the mix of passengers is much more of a gamble. I wrote earlier about how we decided Celebrity is for us. However, after making that decision we took our second Azamara cruise [already booked at the time of the decision making].

 

Our first Azamara cruise was 24 days and, at the time, by far our best cruise experience. We had a great roll call group which was a good start but, in addition, there were very many reasons why everyone on board [guests, officers and crew] were brought together like a huge family. The Master actually stood and said to goodbye to each guest as they left the ship for the final time and had a tear in his eye [as did many of the guests]. After that, we thought a small ship could not be beaten.

 

It was so very different on our second Azamara cruise. There were at least large parties on board as well as some unpleasant guests in some of the suites [eg believe they had the right to smoke cigars on their balcony, eating in the specialty restaurants in the evening in scruffy shorts and vests - I think you call them "wife beaters" or tank tops in the US, people claiming all the lougers around the T-Poll first thing in the morning but never using them - we actually had our loungers taken over and all our possessions moved by them while we were in the pool]. On a small ship, it was very difficult to get away from the groups or unpleasant guests unless we stayed inside our suite - on the balcony we had to put up with the above mentioned neighbours. Because of the groups, all the public areas were noisy.

 

I accept that we were probably unlucky on our second Azamara cruise but it may be that the more "inclusive" cruise attracts a different type of person. [Azamara had done their rebranding between the two cruises and the second cruise definitely had a much higher price point.] IMHO, on a larger ship you are much less affect by the other guests and smaller ships are too much of a risk. I would definitely not be happy to risk a ship smaller than Azamara.

 

Sue

[Chunky2219]

There's only one way you are going to find out if it is right for you and that's to go do it.

 

On a price basis, we've looked at the premium and luxury lines repeatedly over the last few years but always ended up either with Celebrity Royal Suite or Cunard Queens Grill. You always get more real estate for the same money and in the case of Cunard get high quality food. But speaking to seasoned cruisers who've swung both ways, the top end lines do have far better service and top notch food, easily beating Celebrity MDR.

 

Some of the premium and luxury lines throw in free, good quality alcohol, others even include tours. If you don't like to venture out on your own but want to see everything available you might like to think about this option, because tours with X can make a big dent in your wallet.

 

The other thing to remember is that many of the premium lines are point to point cruises. So you are stuck with at least one flight, maybe two to different embarkation / disembarkation ports. We like to take a lot of stuff with us and have a preference for the comfy seats up front and this makes the airfares wickedly expensive. If you want to stay a few days on land at either end then jack up the price a little further. This factor alone has killed every premium line cruise we've seriously looked at so far.

.

.

[galavant3]

I would go with the luxury line for a few reasons. You have fewer people so no crowds and rare lines. Food is much better, service is better and specialty restaurants really are special. We have had full suites in the past on Celebrity, HAL and Princess and, once you leave your cabin, you have a mass market ship. The smaller luxury ships also get better berthing spots and aren't a bus ride from town. And, no nickel and diming with obnoxious announcements. We prefer the all-inclusive idea. I also like being addressed by name which happens on the luxury lines.

 

Agree. To me, there really is no comparison. The smaller ship size, the more personal service, signing for nothing. No crowds. Excursions are like semi private outings and on some ships a crew member accompanies all groups. On luxury lines, we have never waited in a line. Normally, if it is a walk to get into town, they provide transportation.

 

The overall feel (to me) is very different. But all this comes at a price. Which is why I continue to cruise mass markets line and enjoy an occasional luxury cruise when my budget can tolerate it.

[TLCOhio]

DW and I have taken many cruises on a variety of cruise lines over the years, but we've never been on a premium cruise ship. I am now considering an oceanview cabin on Crystal, Seabourne, or Regent but when I read some of the CC reviews of those lines, seasoned travelers often have the same complaints Celebrity/Princess/Cunard cruisers have: that service and amenities have diminished over the years. I recognize things are relative and that some people are professional complainers and nit pickers. But my question is simply would you prefer a full suite on a Celebrity/Princess/HA ship or a modest cabin on a premium line. Leave itineraries out of the equation, please. Also, responses only from those who have experienced both situations. Thanks

 

We had previously done our first three cruises with luxury lines Seabourn, Crystal and Silversea for sailings in Europe. YES, great, wise point when you reflected: "I recognize things are relative and that some people are professional complainers and nit pickers." We also enjoyed Celebrity Solstice and how it worked for well for us. A little more upscale, mass-market option. We are looking forward to our first “down under” visit, Jan. 20-Feb. 3, 2014, Celebrity Solstice sailing, departing Sydney, going from Australia to Auckland/NZ doing 14 days on this ship we loved in the Med in June 2011. For this cruise, we will have a larger Celebrity Suite with a Butler at a price cheaper than doing this cruise with Crystal, Seabourn or Silversea. We think this will work well in value and service. These Celebrity Suites sold out early on our down under cruise, a sign that we have made a good choice for service and value.

 

The luxury lines are generally smaller in size and a little more "personal" in service, etc. AND, higher in price!! BUT, with these Solstice-style ships you get a larger ship with more options, variety, etc. Two key factors for us with Celebrity are "value" and variety for ports/area being visited. Lots of factors to consider!! The food and is quality, dining times, etc., can be important, but that is not the main or only factor for us. With Solstice, we liked have their speciality dining added more variety for our interests.

 

Lots of pro/con factors and trade-offs. Neither option is bad or wrong. You can enjoy both. Much depends on how much you value better food options and need evening dining flexibility for those times. The other posters have shared lots of good insights. Tell us more on what you most seeking and needing? Where traveling to?

 

THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio

 

For details and visuals, etc., from our July 1-16, 2010, Norway Coast/Fjords/Arctic Circle cruise experience from Copenhagen on the Silver Cloud, check out this posting. This posting is now at 112,910 views.

http://www.boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1227923

[happy cruzer]

I would carefully research the policies. Don't assume a Premium Line is going to be perfect.

 

Their smoking policies vary. What alcohol is included varies, especially included wines.

 

Heck Oceania does not offer a hot room service breakfast in all cabin categories.

 

So I agree you must make a list of what matters to you and do the research. Most are disappointed because they assume what Premium means and it is not the same on each line. And there is not just an Oceanview cabin on Regent, I think they are all suites; yet on Crystal they are fairly ordinary sized cabins. That is an example of an item to carefully research if it is important size of cabin, bathroom, balconies.....

 

You will need to get into the details to not be disappointed.

[3418ahl]

If I had my choice, (which I don't!!), I would cruise with Seabourn all the time!! NOTHING like being able to order caviar and REAL french champagne delivered to my cabin each night at 5:30, before dinner. Huge bathtubs. Every cabin includes bed area, living area of about 10 by 12, walk in closet, etc. I was never allowed to even carry a plate. Excellent food, etc. You could order anything you wanted for dinner as long as you gave 24 hrs notice. In Acoruna, our table of eight requested paella. We were told by the captain that the ship did not have the ingredients SO, a bus pulled up, took all the members of our table along with the chef to the big food market shopping for two hours for the ingredients...there was never a charge for this. Celebrity is a nice mass line, but still a mass line. We LOVED Seabourne.

[kimanjo]

I find that a large part of my cruise experience, especially when traveling solo, is due to the mix of other passengers on the ship. No one seems to have addressed this; the discussion has been about cabins, food, entertainment, etc. Does anyone have thoughts about how the mix of passengers differs and would affect the choice in the original post on this thread?

 

 

 

Good question. The mix of Pax is huge for me.. You have to "discover" as much as you can about the ages, nationalities, and such.

 

Some people would love the heavily Italian passenger base on the MSC line, or the Britts on the Thompson or P & O lines. Or the German pax on Hapaag Lloyd.

 

Others like the older general age of a Holland America clientele for like interests.

 

Celebrity has a wide range.

 

There is nothing wrong with wanting to find the right "fit".

 

 

I have found what I think suits me best. We just did an Oceania Med in May. The age demo was actually younger than I thought it would be. A lot of the pax were still "working folk", so under retirement age. Some college professors and the like. Majority were Americans with some Canadians and smaller numbers of Aussies and Britts.

[miched]

I haven't had the privledge of sailing in either but I look at it this way. Year ago you could buy the cheapest Cadillac for less than the most expensive Buick. Many things were standard on the Cadillac that you could not get on the Buick. When it can down to the nitty gritty no matter how much you paid for the Buick you were still riding in and driving a Buick and not a Cadillac.

 

On board a ship I would think that once you walked outside of your cabin you are treated the same and have the same privledges as the rest of the guests, other than the so called priorities that don't mean much. I have never seen a section near the pool that said reserved for suite guests only but I think they are doing that in the theater.

 

I doubt that I will ever do either as I would hate to spend all of that money and be disappointed as we were when we went to a Sandals Resort.

 

 

.

[Stoffel1982]

We have not cruise on a "premium" cruise line but have been in Celebrity, Royal and Penthouse Suites on Celebrity ships, Penthouse/Owners Suites on Azamara and Penthouse Suite on NCL.

 

For our 40th anniversary we researched the whole market - every ship, every crusie line - and went to two cruise shows in the UK. We set a suitably large budget and had our list of requirements which included a "proper" suite of rooms, two bathrooms, a proper dining table, the freedom to eat in any restaurant we choose as many times as we wanted [but did not mind paying extra for this], ... [the list was longer but I cannot recall it all].

 

We questioned representatives of each cruise line in great detail except for MSC who did not seem to have anyone who spoke English at the London cruise show [go figure!]. We were interested in the whole cruise experience. In the end, cost was not a factor even with the premium lines. OK, Celebrity had an advantage because we understood what their experience would be but not one other cruise line could convince us that we would get the same experience with them.

 

There are a lot of cruise line and it was all a few years ago now and it has all become a fuzzy haze but there was some issue or another with each of them. At least one cruise line, for example, said that we could only eat in a specialty restaurant a llimited number of times.

 

We ended up in a penthouse on Eclipse over the last New Year and had a fantastic cruise.

 

Of course, you may have different requirements. For us, an "all inclusive" cruise does not appeal. For example, we prefer to have a greater selection of wine from which to choose than is usual in an all inclusive environment. We do not take many excursions and object to paying for them to be included in the price. My recommendation is that you sit down and seriously think what you are looking for with your cruise experience. Then ask specific questions of cruise line representatives or preious cruisers.

 

For us, having gone through the exercise, we now understand that our cruise line of choice is Celebrity. Unfortunately, it is also difficult to "downsize" from a PH ...

 

Sue

 

Ok, what does PH stands for?? :-)

[orchestrapal]

Ok, what does PH stands for?? :-)

 

Penthouse::rolleyes: