Celebrity or Princess?

[NOSaints1]

What difference is between Celebrity vs Princess? What has better food, entertainment, intenerays and for the price what would you recommend?

 

 

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[cynbar]

Well, you are on the Celebrity board, and a lot of people here are rabid Celebrity fans! However, my DH and I like both lines and choose based on itinerary. Celebrity is quieter, more dignified and sedate, with less entertainment . It's really more about relaxing in lovely surroundings and enjoying the company of your traveling companions. Food and service are very good, although I don't think the food is as good as it was a few years ago. On Princess, we love the mini suites, Movies under the Stars, the International Cafe for snacks and pastries and small sandwiches through the day, the smaller MDRs (less noisy and chaotic for us), and the extensive and themed evening buffets. However, we think you can't go wrong with either line. Choose based on itinerary and price (although we always get a mini suite on Princess because their balcony cabins are smaller than Celebrity, which I'm sure others will mention.) You'll get many replies that say they will only sail Celebrity but take it with a grain of salt , all the lines have their fans.

[Quo Vadis?]

We prefer Celebrity but have not set foot on a Princess ship for quite a while.

 

Princess has some very nice itineraries and if the right one came along and the price was right we might try them again.

[cruisin-m]

Well, you are on the Celebrity board, and a lot of people here are rabid Celebrity fans! However, my DH and I like both lines and choose based on itinerary. Celebrity is quieter, more dignified and sedate, with less entertainment . It's really more about relaxing in lovely surroundings and enjoying the company of your traveling companions. Food and service are very good, although I don't think the food is as good as it was a few years ago. On Princess, we love the mini suites, Movies under the Stars, the International Cafe for snacks and pastries and small sandwiches through the day, the smaller MDRs (less noisy and chaotic for us), and the extensive and themed evening buffets. However, we think you can't go wrong with either line. Choose based on itinerary and price (although we always get a mini suite on Princess because their balcony cabins are smaller than Celebrity, which I'm sure others will mention.) You'll get many replies that say they will only sail Celebrity but take it with a grain of salt , all the lines have their fans.

 

Couldn't agree more, both have pros and cons to each other it is best for you to decide for yourself :)

 

On this board you will find that most people will swear Celebrity is 100x better than Princess but that's just because you're on a Celebrity board with the avid fans, same thing would happen if you posted on a Princess board.

[Iamcruzin]

IMO Princess has better food in both the buffet and MDR. I found the food on Celebrity to be overcooked and over salted. Steaks were tough, burgers were dry, the Pizza lacked cheese and the sauce was like battery acid. As far as itinerary that's all a matter of where you want to go. If you want to go to Bermuda or the Southern Caribbean than Celebrity is the line because Princess doesn't sail there. Price is anyone's guess but according to many on the Princess board Princess allows travel agents to discount and many also receive on board credit or other perks. Good luck finding one of these agents. I have yet to find any who offer anything worth while for me to give up control of my booking. I watch prices and call direct if I see a price drop. Agents aren't always available on the weekends or at 11:00pm when I have discovered the price drop. Celebrity seems to offer good perks from time to time like the drink package OBC or free gratuities.

[Cruise Junky]

I answered on the Princess site

[NukeTim]

Took the Celebrity Summit to Bermuda in June and the Island Princess to Alaska in July. The BIG difference we noticed between the two (other than the itinerary and the weather) was the MDR. We had the Celebrity Select & the Princess Anytime. We had to wait longer to be seated on Princess. However, the Princess dining room was quiet, had some space between the tables, and the waiters were more personable. On the Summit we were in the very crowded upstairs dining, tables were packed with the maximum place setting and very close to one another, and the waiters just rushed around. We noticed too that specialty dining on Celebrity is almost twice the price of Princess. There were all sorts of other little things where Celebrity did things better. I agree with the previous poster - both are very similar so give the nod to itinerary and price to decide which to take.

[OCruisers]

While we prefer Princess, we have nothing bad to say about Celebrity. :)

Princess just happens to be a better "all around" fit for us.

LuLu

[Oxo]

IMO Princess has better food in both the buffet and MDR. I found the food on Celebrity to be overcooked and over salted. Steaks were tough, burgers were dry, the Pizza lacked cheese and the sauce was like battery acid. As far as itinerary that's all a matter of where you want to go. If you want to go to Bermuda or the Southern Caribbean than Celebrity is the line because Princess doesn't sail there. Price is anyone's guess but according to many on the Princess board Princess allows travel agents to discount and many also receive on board credit or other perks. Good luck finding one of these agents. I have yet to find any who offer anything worth while for me to give up control of my booking. I watch prices and call direct if I see a price drop. Agents aren't always available on the weekends or at 11:00pm when I have discovered the price drop. Celebrity seems to offer good perks from time to time like the drink package OBC or free gratuities.

 

Food is very subjective. We cruise both X and Princess. Food also depends on the ship/chief. X's S class ships have very good Ocean View Cafe while Royal/Regal (new Princess ships) have excellent buffet area with a lot of food choices.

 

X also allows you to Stack OBC. We have a Military, TA OBC, and FCC OBC, (total OBC $750) plus the Classic Beverage Package (free) on our next X cruise. On our other X cruise the fall we have the same stacked OBC for a total of $500.

 

With X you must prepay your excursions whereas you don't on Princess. If you choose Anytime/Select Dining on X you must also prepay that. These two things are IMO not better. Princess does not charge you until you get on-board.

 

Food is very subjective. We cruise both X and Princess. Food also depends on the ship/chief. X's S class ships have very good Ocean View Cafe while Royal/Regal (new Princess ships) have excellent buffet area with a lot of food choices.

 

Cabins are bigger on X with bigger verandas too when comapre to Royal/Regal.

 

Inside pool on X S Class ships are very nice and quiet whereas Royal/Regal and most Princess ships do not have indoor pool.

 

If you are Elite or above on X or Elite on Princess, Princess has better perks such as Internet and laundry. X has a better free Happy Hour from 5-7PM with free drinks. Princess does not have a free Happy Hour, but they do have free bar setup for Elite in Cabin. Princess does have an evening reduced drink with snacks.

 

They both are good. Price, ports and ship are the big factors.

 

X does not discount, however, we get some big OBC from our TA and X. Princess does allow TA discounts and OBC, too.

 

 

Cabins are bigger on X with bigger verandas too when comapre to Royal/Regal.

 

Inside pool on X S Class ships are very nice and quiet whereas Royal/Regal and most Princess ships do not have indoor pool.

 

If you are Elite or above on X or Elite on Princess, Princess has better perks such as Internet and laundry. X has a better free Happy Hour from 5-7PM with free drinks. Princess does not have a free Happy Hour, but they do have free bar setup for Elite in Cabin. Princess does have an evening reduced drink with snacks.

 

They both are good. Price, ports and ship are the big factors.

 

X does not discount, however, we get some big OBC from our TA and X. Princess does allow TA discounts and OBC, too.

 

Your choice. You can't go wrong either way. Post this on Princess CC and you will get different answers.

 

Enjoy your selection either way.

Edited July 30, 2014 by Oxo

[wallie5446]

I did not read the other comments.

 

Our 1st Princess cruise was in 1992, our last was on the Ruby in 2012.

 

Our 1st Celebrity was in 1993, our last was the Reflection in 2013.

 

We have sailed 7 different lines. Celebrity is our line of first choice

The entertainment has gotten amazing the same on every line, more of the same old stuff. So we never book for who the comedy act is. :D the Ultimate Balcony dinning on Princess is the most amazing and different dinner we have had on a cruise ship in 25 years. Everything else goes to Celebrity. They both sail to the same country's, unless you go for the gusto and sail to Bora Bora or Tahiti on Princess. ( our bucket list cruise )

 

The Ruby was well laid out and enjoyable to experience. The Reflection last year, well, it is now our favorite ship, period. If the other S-Class ship are anywhere close we will be hard pressed to consider any other. Because we have dated around :rolleyes: our cruise in Nov on the Equinox will finally give us the required points to reach Elite. So we have not been a one line cheer crew!:D

[buffetking]

Princess for Alaska. Celebrity for everywhere else.

[getaway101]

I would have to say that Celebrity is my favorite but Princess would be second. My main pet peeve with Princess is the size of the cabins and the fact there is no sofa or love seat in the cabins unless you get a mini suite or above.

 

Love the larger balconies on the Caribbe deck on Princess but hate that the mini suites don't have any privacy on their decks.

 

Good and bad in all cruise lines.

[ama]

That answer will depend on the ship and itinerary that you're comparing. Prior to our first cruise with Celebrity this past June, our favorite has been Princess.

 

We liked the buffet and MDR food more on Celebrity, especially the soups and ice cream! We found the desserts better on Princess and the pizza. We enjoyed our beverage package on Celebrity, and this added to our enjoyment of the cruise.

 

We were on S class ship and we found the atmosphere more elegant and upscale on Celebrity, the crowd did skew a bit "older." I felt Princess provided more entertainment/activity options and we liked watching movies on the pool deck (they didn't have this on Celebrity). We missed the wrap around deck that is on Princess as well, this wasn't on the S class ship we were on. We also liked the scholarship at sea programs found on Princess too.

 

Service was excellent on both lines. Although I liked that Celebrity provided some extra touches (champagne when you board) and there seemed to be less announcements/pushy selling. The cabin seemed larger on Celebrity then on Princess.

 

So, there are both ups and downs for both lines. We would strongly consider both and it would really boil down to pricing, ship, and itinerary for us. Have a great cruise!

[NOSaints1]

The one thing that sucks is we've aside Carnival and you can't get past guest rate or the benefits on rmt heir other lines, where has Royal/Celebrity you can transfer your status among lines. On Celebrity how're the Aqua/Conceierge class and how're the Sky suites? and are they worth the extra money?

 

 

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[wallie5446]

The one thing that sucks is we've aside Carnival and you can't get past guest rate or the benefits on rmt heir other lines, where has Royal/Celebrity you can transfer your status among lines. On Celebrity how're the Aqua/Conceierge class and how're the Sky suites? and are they worth the extra money?

 

 

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All balcony cabins are the same size 194 sf with a 54 sf balcony.

 

The main extra in Aqua class is Blu as your assigned dinning venue, and in Concierge a flower, and an apple a day. And extra points in the Captain Club.

 

Some feel the location on the deck plan is better. We were in a C2 deck 9 last year, in Nov were have a 1A deck 8, for $800 pp less, both on the angle of the hump. There is no additional service perks. Oh, you get a foot stool on the balcony.

[cynbar]

The one thing that sucks is we've aside Carnival and you can't get past guest rate or the benefits on rmt heir other lines, where has Royal/Celebrity you can transfer your status among lines. On Celebrity how're the Aqua/Conceierge class and how're the Sky suites? and are they worth the extra money?

 

 

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We have had a Sky Suite and liked it, reminded me of the Princess mini suite with more of a square shape. With the Sky Suite, you can eat in either the MDR or Blu, you get a butler, and a free meal in a specialty restaurant. There are plans for a designated suites' dining room starting next April. Our other Celebrity cruises have been in AQ, this gives you Blu as your assigned DR and other perks like daily bottled water and access to the Persian Gardens. Remember that all balcony cabins on the S class ships have exactly the same design and size, they vary by location and amenities. Blu is quieter and usually has better service than the MDR, although we didn't like it as much on Reflection (too crowded, occasional waits for a table, busy waiters.) The menu is a little different but generally good, here are some from a 10 day cruise:

 

 

http://eclipse2011ta.webs.com/blumenus.htm

 

Another option is take a lower category balcony cabin and buy one of the dining packages with the savings which gives you several meals in the specialty restaurants at a reduced cost, we may do that next time after our experience in Blu in May.

[shipfriend_max]

Hi,

 

I really like both lines, but I personally prefer Celebrity, because IMHO there are some recognizable differences which makes Celebrity a premium product and Princess standard.

I can compare between Celeb. Summit (2x) and crown/Emerald Princess. For Aug 2015, we have booked Celeb. Millennium.

 

Celebrity:

-items cooked to order at the buffet

-less crowded

-nice to haves: cold towel on warm days at sea, and when returning to the ship (also cold drinks), more ice-cream-choices for free, porcelain plates at the buffet, sommeliers in MDR, IMHO better food quality/choice

-more value for money

-perfect ratio between size and no of passengers (M class - I don't know S class)

 

But there are also some niceties I like at Princess:

-walkable wardrobe in your stateroom

-maritime decor

-large evening buffets

-also decent food quality

I personally really liked the Skywalkers lounge at the aft of the ship, and the movie under the stars as well!!

 

So you should compare routes and the prices, and see what is more appealing to you - on both lines, you should have a very enjoyable time. :)

But often I also like the Celebrity itineraries more.

I hope this helps.

Edited July 30, 2014 by celebrity_fan

[Hlitner]

We enjoy both lines. Recently took a 25 day Ruby Princess cruise and will be on the Celebrity Eclipse later this year. Both lines are comparable in many ways, although there are certainly significant differences between the various class ships as well as the lines. Personally, we have no hesitation in recommending either line.

 

Hank

[Tak8]

I've sailed on 6 different lines. My favorite is Princess. I'm sailing Celebrity this Christmas for the first time. I like the San Juan caribbean sailings and Princess doesn't have them at the moment, so I'm giving Celebrity a try. Princess wasn't my favorite until i sailed on one of her ships, so who knows what I will be saying by the new year. If you find the right itinerary and price go for it.

[Avalon35]

We like the size of the mini suite on Princess . What do you think compares on Celebrity? And those who have sailed in a mini suite on Princess and regular cabin on S class .. How do you feel they compared ?

 

 

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[FortyNinerLiz]

We like the size of the mini suite on Princess . What do you think compares on Celebrity? And those who have sailed in a mini suite on Princess and regular cabin on S class .. How do you feel they compared ?

 

 

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The mini-suites on Princess are much better!!!! More spacious, bathtub, two tvs, great bar area, etc. Good location too!!!

[Vol fan]

You might want to go back and read through the answers you received in February when you posted this question also. Putting all of the answers together should help you make a decision.

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1992850&page=3

Edited July 30, 2014 by Vol fan

[Rogueperson]

Granted, my Celebrity experience is almost 9 years ago, and my Princess experience was 4 years ago, this is what i remembered.

 

Celebrity offered a more mature cruise experience. Last time I was on Celebrity, I didn't appreciate it as much as I would now. Much has changed in those 9 years for me. Even then, I had a great time, and I suspect that I will enjoy it even more on my next one next year. Celebrity also gave me a perspective of my longest cruise i've ever taken, 10 nights. They were too good at pampering my every need that I crossed the line of relaxing, and entered into the realm of wasting away. My 10th and last day, I remember i was sitting out by the pool and it just snapped. I had no use for myself. Everything has been taken care of the last 10 days, and I'm in the realm of feeling like a waste of space. I had to get off the ship and resume some semblance of a life. That was pretty impressive. I know that was not what they were trying to do, but they succeeded. I found their food to be a notch higher than the other lines including Princess. I do not know how their food is now as its been over 9 years for me.

 

Princess. What can I say. I love them. There is something about their ship that screams a romantic atmosphere, and for all intents and purposes, I was a solo cruiser on my journey on the Crown Princess. (I had my own room, but I was cruising with my mother and her husband). The ship has that air around everything, moreso than any other ship i've ever been on. The food was good and the service excellent. Though I feel Celebrity wins on the food aspect, I had amazing service which I have to attribute to the actual members that were responsible for me. Our wait staff and especially my room stewart was amazing, but I felt it was their personality, and not the ship/line itself that was the reason for it. I did not feel the service from the ones that were not directly responsible for me (bartenders etc). It wasn't bad service, but not to the level that Celebrity pampered me. Maybe it was a different time, as there was a 5 year difference between the two.

 

Both of these lines were my contenders for my honeymoon. Celebrity won out for two reasons. 1. Their schedule was released before Princess. 2. Princess did not have a stop in Panama on the Panama Canal cruise. And a good third, is that Princess was charging 300+/person more for the same room type for the same time. I was actually leaning more towards Princess, because I knew it was more romantic than Celebrity, but both products are great products. I will try Princess again in the near future, maybe something in 2016?

Edited July 30, 2014 by Rogueperson

[miched]

If Princess had the same strict smoking policy as Celebrity I would prefer Princess.

 

Dont really have anything in particular that I can say why.

 

Happy sailing 🌊🚢🇺🇸🌅

[zodiac1]

We are Elite on Celebrity and have never sailed Princess. Last Spring, we were looking for an Alaska cruise sailing out of Seattle. We have cruised to Alaska before but were looking for an inexpensive getaway. The Grand Princess with an August sail date was less than half the price of the Celebrity Solstice! We jumped on it and August 24 will be sailing on our first Princess Cruise. Even though it's not Celebrity, we are determined to have a wonderful time!