princess v's celebrity ...which would you choose?

[Lovely other]

Hi

 

We are looking at a cruise in August to the Baltics. Identical itinerary, identical price so now it just comes down to which line to choose.

 

Any thoughts from more experienced cruisers welcome.

 

Just for some background we're late 30's, like to socialise, learn new things and eat. We have enjoyed HAL in the past but they're food times are a bit rigid for us and the evenings are a little too slow. We did make like minded friends however and rarely saw bed before midnight. We are not great with kids and like some adult only swimming areas or such like. We don't have tons of spare cash and we book insides cabins usually unless its a bargain ...

[Keith1010]

I would favor Celebrity over Princess but was wondering which are the cruise ships.

 

Keith

[Lovely other]

I would favor Celebrity over Princess but was wondering which are the cruise ships.

 

Keith

 

Emerald Princess / Celebrity Eclipse

[seaturtle_808]

I recommend Princess. I've sailed them numerous times and have had great experiences. The food is amazing, the entertainment is okay, and the ships are big which allows for a more spacious and not packed feeling. I think if you liked HAL and you're just looking for a bit more of an active less-retired (which is the HAL demographic) crowd then Princess would be a great fit for you.

 

I've yet to sail Celebrity, but whenever I see their ships in port I'm not impressed, they always look dirty and a little older. I've spoke with some passengers in port and they always say their cruise is "ok" so nothing overly impressive.

 

Also depending on the port/itinerary Princess runs some pretty good specials on their inside cabins, which can make them more affordable if you look at the right times.

 

Good luck on your decision!

[Lovely other]

thanks seaturtle (loving that name) ...We can book pretty late and wait for deals. Princess may just be winning on price as the Celebrity just jumped £500 in the last hour! RCCL was also a contender but my Hubby used to work on their ships occasionally and he's adamant that I won't enjoy them ...

[Keith1010]

Food on Celebrity will be quite a bit better than Princess and their specialty restaurants are terrific. They are more upscale than Princess.

 

Why don't you read reviews on each ship before you rush off and decide.

 

Keith

[DaKa2002]

We'd pick Celebrity over Princess. The ship is ship is several years newer and carries a couple hundred fewer passengers. Our Grand Princess cruise wasn't terrific and we have been very pleased with cruises on both the Millennium and Solstice (different class ships of Celebrity Cruise Lines).

Edited May 23, 2014 by DaKa2002

[navybankerteacher]

thanks seaturtle (loving that name) ...We can book pretty late and wait for deals. Princess may just be winning on price as the Celebrity just jumped £500 in the last hour! RCCL was also a contender but my Hubby used to work on their ships occasionally and he's adamant that I won't enjoy them ...

 

If your husband is adamant against RCCL, you might want to consider Celebrity as being more different than RCCL (in spite of being a subsidiary) than is Princess.

 

I would pick Celebrity, but as you know nothing of my tastes, that preference should mean nothing to you- try reading reviews - and pay attention to the ones which seem to address preferences (or dislikes) of yours; whiling ignoring the generalized raves (or condemnations) given without rationale which makes sense to you.

[boogs]

No contest - Celebrity would be my first choice. The Eclipse is a beautiful ship, and her class has won many awards for design and amenities. Eclipse is an S-class ship, considered by most in the industry as the best cruise ship design in service today. Service and food will be better on Celebrity, while entertainment options are more varied with Princess. Eclipse never feels crowded, while I can't say the same for Emerald Princess. If you are looking for a relaxing time on a ship, the Eclipse would be a better choice than Emerald Princess.

 

I would consider Celebrity to be a step up from Princess, especially considering the two ships in question. Celebrity ships are some of the best maintained on the high seas. They are not, as one poster claimed, dirty. The same could be said for Princess. Both maintain their ships well.

 

Eclipse was launched in February 2010, while Emerald Princess was launched in June 2006, so I don't know how that one poster can make the claim that the Celebrity ship is older when the Princess ship is 4 years older. Eclipse carries 2,800 passengers with a crew of 1,270. Emerald Princess carries 3,080 passengers, with a smaller crew of 1,200, so more passengers with fewer staff to service them. Emerald Princess is also a smaller ship, 15 decks compared to Eclipse's 17 decks, and is almost 100 feet shorter and 3 feet narrower. She is noticeable smaller with more passengers sharing that smaller space.

Edited May 23, 2014 by boogs

[Keith1010]

I hope you are getting the impression to take a hard look at Celebrity. It will be very special.

 

Keith

[Lerin]

Flip a coin, they're practically the same.

 

I personally would do Celebrity simply because the ship is smaller.

[jamessemaj]

I would take Princess. I would recommend Celebrity over Princess only if you are an anti-smoking fanatic.

[skandls]

I would check out the types of cabins you will be booking. I have found the regular balconies on Princess small as a lot of the sq feet is used by a large closet. I like a little more room to move about and the sofa/loveseat on the Celebrity ships.

[OCruisers]

We love sailing on Emerald Princess so she would be certainly be our choice! :)

LuLu

[boogs]

I would take Princess. I would recommend Celebrity over Princess only if you are an anti-smoking fanatic.

 

Correction - "only if you are a fresh air fanatic". There is nothing fanatical about doing everything possible to avoid the stench and health risks of second hand cigarette smoke.

 

I personally would do Celebrity simply because the ship is smaller.

 

Actually, the Eclipse is a larger ship with fewer passengers, which is why is feels less crowded. Here are the stats:

 

Emerald Princess

Tonnage: 113,000 GT

Length: 951 ft (290 m)

Beam: 118 ft (36 m)

Draft: 26.2 ft (8.0 m)

Decks: 15 decks

Capacity: 3,080 passengers

Crew: 1,200

 

Passenger Space Ratio: 36.68

 

Celebrity Eclipse:

Tonnage: 121,878 GT

Length: 1,040.5 ft (317 m)

Beam: 120 ft 9 in (36.8 m)

Draft: 27 ft 3 in (8.30 m)

Decks: 17 decks

Capacity: 2,850 passengers

Crew: 1,271

 

Passenger Space Ratio: 42.69

Edited May 24, 2014 by boogs

[jamessemaj]

Attention passengers. An expert has arrived to settle all concerns. That should end the thread and further discussion.

[SantaFeFan]

Attention passengers. An expert has arrived to settle all concerns. That should end the thread and further discussion.

 

So, when someone posts statistics and facts instead of pull-it-out-your-butt guesses, he needs to be ridiculed? :confused:

 

A typical reaction straight from one of those "don't confuse me with facts, I have my mind made up" types. Opinions, not truth, are more his style, clearly evidenced by his confrontational "anti-smoking fanatics" comment above. :rolleyes:

 

Boogs posted information on the size comparisons of the two ships. We should be grateful that some posters here are more interested in providing accurate information, instead of fostering misinformation, unsupported opinions, and conflict as you apparently prefer. :mad:

Edited May 24, 2014 by SantaFeFan

[pris993]

We are elite on Princess and elite on Celebrity. We have not been on the Emerald. We have been on the Grand, Golden, Star, Sapphire and Ruby, which are similar. We have cruised both the Ecilpse and Equniox and we have booked the Silhouette for this fall on X.

 

The X ships are more modern in design. These modern ships are not necessarily our favorite design. We like the more tradition design like HAL and Princess.

 

A feature we like on X is the nice lounge at the bow of the ship, similar to HAL. X has a great buffet, we don't care for the food or service in the MDR on X, HAL is better. Just returned from the Nieuw Amsterdam, actually was impressed with the MDR menu on HAL. Food and service on Princess is better for us than on X, because on Princess we can special order off the menu items we like. X does not do special orders well at all, never has. If you know how to order you can get some special meals on Princess in the MDR.

 

We miss the promenade deck on X, Princess a good promenade.

 

Entertainment on X has always been hit and miss for us, Princess a bit better. Really depends on the cruise.

 

Cabins on Princess similar to HAL - if you have a mini suite. All cabins on X are the same, except for suites. We now book a Delux Balcony on X and save money over booking CC or Aqua class.

 

Bottom line you can probably book either and be happy but each has its pluses and minuses. All depends on what you want.

 

Hope these thoughts help you decide.

 

Generally find European cruises are very port intensive, night life on board is hit and miss as a result. Because the cruise is port intensive the ship is less important. Folks just don't spend much time on board other then to sleep and eat dinner.

[dorisis]

As an Elite on both lines I would book Princess because the perks and OBCs are much better.

 

I f not for that i would probably book celebrity because the ship is newer.

[donnatello]

Been on both lines, several times each. Either would be fine! For me, it would just come down to: eaney meany miney mow........

[cruisemom42]

I agree with those who've said either one is a good choice, based on what you initially said.

 

I haven't been on Eclipse, but was on Silhouette in January. The pool areas seemed quite crowded -- I think the Princess class ship you are considering has more pool areas. (Not that this will be terribly important in the Baltics!) Another area that seemed crowded, with tables close together, is the main dining room.

 

Speaking of the dining room. I didn't find the food on Celebrity to be much, if any, better than on Princess. I think it depends on what you like and how willing you are to try things. On Princess I always enjoy more seafood, pasta, and I love their souffles. On Celebrity, the beef dishes always seemed to be good.

 

I will agree that the specialty dining on Celebrity -- at least in Murano -- is a step above Princess. The food is quite good, but it's also significantly more $$.

 

Cabin sizes -- someone mentioned having the small loveseat in Celebrity cabins. While this is nice, keep in mind that it makes floor space in the cabin very tight. Also, storage seems much better organized in Princess cabins. I wasn't a big fan of the high-up over-the-bed storage areas on Celebrity. However, the bathroom on Silhouette was quite a bit nicer, with a solid shower door and more modern feel.

 

I like evening entertainment, and Princess does seem to offer more choices. We were on Silhouette for the New Years cruise, so I feel they put on a few extra evening events for us. Absent those, it would have seemed on the quiet side. Princess often has several choices going on simultaneously (variety, comedy, music, karaoke, etc.).

 

The only other comments I'd make is that:

 

1) Smoking on Princess is now pretty limited, so unless you like to spend time in the casino, it's unlikely to impact you. Celebrity is more limited (but we did smell cigarette smoke on our Celebrity balcony a couple of times...)

 

2) Beds tend to be hard on Princess, though I understand they are replacing them with better ones. The beds on our Celebrity cruise were unremarkable, neither too hard nor too soft.

[mtwingcpa]

I would recommend Celebrity over Princess only if you are an anti-smoking fanatic.

 

I thought the smoking policies on the two lines are now essentially identical. In what way do you see an advantage (from a non-smoker's perspective) on Celebrity?

[Stelladoro]

We sailed the Baltic on the Emerald Princess and enjoyed it, except for the lumpy beds. So, if getting a good night sleep on a port intensive cruise is important to you, I would opt for the Celebrity Eclipse. So far, we've always enjoyed comfy beds on Celebrity sailings.

But at the same time, price is also a major consideration.

[boogs]

I thought the smoking policies on the two lines are now essentially identical. In what way do you see an advantage (from a non-smoker's perspective) on Celebrity?

 

Because Princess is not as restrictive. Here is a quote from the Princess FAQ page on smoking areas:

 

Clearly marked “Designated Smoking Areas” are available onboard and include a sufficient number of ashtrays that are emptied regularly. Generally, these areas include cigar lounges, a section of the nightclub and casino, as well as a portion of the open decks.

 

Celebrity has NO interior areas where smoking is allowed - only in designated OUTSIDE areas.

 

Plus, this more restricted policy is relatively new to Princess. It is conceivable that some past Princess customers who smoke may not have heard of the new policies and attempt to sneak a smoke anyway because "that's the way it was the last time I was here and nobody told me of the change."

Edited May 24, 2014 by boogs

[happy cruzer]

Good thread

 

More pools on princess, MUTS.

 

Single floor dining room on princess. More buffet hours on princess. Two story dining room on celebrity. Escargot offered each night on celebrity. Room service on celebrity has hot breakfast and food from dining room at lunch and dinner.

 

Celebrity is doing interactive theme parties and completions with officers. Princess has two showrooms.

 

Research is a good thing.