Comparing Princess and Celebrity

[Aquahound]

I have to admit I never set foot in the Sky Lounge to my knowledge.

 

Oh no. You missed probably one of the most comfortable reading spots, and one of the most beautiful lounges in all of cruising!

 

[Bimmer09]

Oh no. You missed probably one of the most comfortable reading spots, and one of the most beautiful lounges in all of cruising!

 

 

 

Alas, Carol did miss the Sky Lounge and I only stepped in for a look-see and photos when docked in St Maarten and Park West weren't using it that day.

 

We'll both experience it when the ship is underway in January, even though the Reflection added some suites into the room (boo!)

 

There was just one person in the Sky Lounge-a lady quietly reading. It was a beautiful room on the Silhouette.

 

Norris

[RocketMan275]

Princess needs to send you a thank you note. We have never seen the merit of the UBD, but with your two videos- SOLD! We will be doing this on our cruise in June (well, I hope so-- the balconies are really, really small on the Royal class ships)- not sure if it is going to work for us. We are actually considering upgrading ourselves to an OS and that would certainly solve the balcony size issue.

 

 

My wife only had one comment after our UBD, "I've never felt so pampered in my life". BTW, wives who feel pampered are a good thing. :D

 

Strongly suggest you go for the OS. We wouldn't book any other cabin on Regal/Royal due to the small balconies elsewhere.

[pd7277]

Oh no. You missed probably one of the most comfortable reading spots, and one of the most beautiful lounges in all of cruising!

 

 

Just curious, do they convert into something else for use at night? They are strange different shapes.

[Aquahound]

Just curious, do they convert into something else for use at night? They are strange different shapes.

 

No, they stay as is, and they are very comfortable. There's only a few. Here's a couple more pics of the room.

 

 

[Buckcruise]

No, they stay as is, and they are very comfortable. There's only a few. Here's a couple more pics of the room.

 

 

 

It really is a very nice, underutilized piece of real estate. We only went there twice, once to cool off with a drink after walking back from town in St Martaan and ended up playing trivia, and second time was when the house band was playing there in the evening and we weren't interested in any of the other entertainment. Most others must have been though cause they played to about 4 couples!

 

I seem to recall from somewhere that it's been or being taken away on other ships. Why? Oh why? Put more activities on there...it's the best view in the house!

Edited April 13, 2016 by Buckcruise

[perfect match]

Thank you, Norris, for taking the time to do this comparison. I can certainly see us deciding to try Celebrity at some time in the not too distant future. I am sure we will enjoy it when we do.

 

I don't know if you and Carol have finalized your plan for the summer, but I am selfishly hoping it will be a cruose so I will have another Bimmer 09 review to read. :D

[Bimmer09]

Thank you, Norris, for taking the time to do this comparison. I can certainly see us deciding to try Celebrity at some time in the not too distant future. I am sure we will enjoy it when we do.

 

I don't know if you and Carol have finalized your plan for the summer, but I am selfishly hoping it will be a cruose so I will have another Bimmer 09 review to read. :D

 

Nancy, thanks as always for reading along and commenting.

 

Funny you should ask as we have spent some time recently discussing options as I get vacation time after being with my new company for 6 months. As I started in the first week of March I can take vacation starting at the end of first week of September.

 

We talked about some land options west of here-Las Vegas, Sedona but during our debate the word cruise came up. We shied away from Europe as we really need to stretch our time there and it's too early to ask for favors at work.

 

As our thinking caps had just come back from the dry cleaners (medium starch) we thought....ALASKA! We haven't been there since 2012. We love it.

 

So I did the research and pickings were slim at that time of year as the season winds down. We wanted to sail from Vancouver, that we knew as we have an old friend from N Ireland there and we like to see our ship awaiting when we wake up on Embarkation Day. It offers a dramatic sail away too, under the bridge.

 

We had three ships to choose from; The Coral, The Ugly Butt Island and one we hadn't been on-the Star which had aft suites and a dramatic Skywalkers.

 

Long story short..... we are booked on the

 

STAR PRINCESS

 

SEPTEMBER 10TH VOYAGE OF THE GLACIERS NORTHBOUND FROM VANCOUVER

 

We are staying at the Fairmont Waterfront hotel but having dinner at 5 SAILS in the Pan Pacific across the street. The FW, like the Pan, takes our luggage to the ship.

 

All the aft suites were sold on the Star so we snagged the most aft mini-suite on the Starboard side- E 733 with the elongated (uncovered) balcony. We'll hear and see the wake.

 

I went looking for photo reviews of the Star but they are thin on the ground so that will be my next review followed by Celebrity Reflection in January.

 

I know the Star is one of Jasperdo's favorites so am looking forward to it.

 

We are looking at excursions now and may repeat some favorites (White Pass railway, Harv n Marv) but will add some new experiences. Now I am loaded up with better cameras I hope to get some good photos and video.

 

Barring anything that might cause us to cancel that's where we'll be in September.

 

Cheers!

 

Norris

[Bimmer09]

As I only had had 11 cups of coffee when I wrote that last post I erred in the cabin number-NOT E 733 but instead D 733 uncovered.

 

Norris

[enidcruiser]

Don't believe we will ever sail anything but RCCL but I just had to read this whole review, a little late but still so entertaining as usual. Thanks Norris

[Jasperdo]

I know the Star is one of Jasperdo's favorites so am looking forward to it.

That it is. I've liked all the cruise ships I've been on, but the Star is my favorite Princess ship.The Ruby, Coral and Golden are all wonderful. But there's something about the Star that feels like home. One of the things that I especially like about the Star is the tables for two in the Anytime Dining Room. I know it doesn't matter to most cruisers, but my wife and I really prefer a private table for two at dinner. The Ruby and Coral were terrible in that regard. We sat at tables for two that were honestly one inch apart. The Star, on the other hand, gets it right. They have an entire section of just tables for two, and they are creatively spread about to create nice private tables. The other Princess ships could learn a lot from them.

 

Anywho, I'm really looking forward to your review. We've cruise to Alaska twice (and drove the Alaska Highway once). It's one of our favorite places.

[perfect match]

Nancy, thanks as always for reading along and commenting.

 

Funny you should ask as we have spent some time recently discussing options as I get vacation time after being with my new company for 6 months. As I started in the first week of March I can take vacation starting at the end of first week of September.

 

We talked about some land options west of here-Las Vegas, Sedona but during our debate the word cruise came up. We shied away from Europe as we really need to stretch our time there and it's too early to ask for favors at work.

 

As our thinking caps had just come back from the dry cleaners (medium starch) we thought....ALASKA! We haven't been there since 2012. We love it.

 

So I did the research and pickings were slim at that time of year as the season winds down. We wanted to sail from Vancouver, that we knew as we have an old friend from N Ireland there and we like to see our ship awaiting when we wake up on Embarkation Day. It offers a dramatic sail away too, under the bridge.

 

We had three ships to choose from; The Coral, The Ugly Butt Island and one we hadn't been on-the Star which had aft suites and a dramatic Skywalkers.

 

Long story short..... we are booked on the

 

STAR PRINCESS

 

SEPTEMBER 10TH VOYAGE OF THE GLACIERS NORTHBOUND FROM VANCOUVER

 

We are staying at the Fairmont Waterfront hotel but having dinner at 5 SAILS in the Pan Pacific across the street. The FW, like the Pan, takes our luggage to the ship.

 

All the aft suites were sold on the Star so we snagged the most aft mini-suite on the Starboard side- E 733 with the elongated (uncovered) balcony. We'll hear and see the wake.

 

I went looking for photo reviews of the Star but they are thin on the ground so that will be my next review followed by Celebrity Reflection in January.

 

I know the Star is one of Jasperdo's favorites so am looking forward to it.

 

We are looking at excursions now and may repeat some favorites (White Pass railway, Harv n Marv) but will add some new experiences. Now I am loaded up with better cameras I hope to get some good photos and video.

 

Barring anything that might cause us to cancel that's where we'll be in September.

 

Cheers!

 

Norris

 

Congratulations! Sounds like you made a great choice! :D

 

One of the problems for me with cruising on several different lines is that I sometimes forget who does what. I can't remember if Princess does waitlists in case a cabin you want opens up. So, can you waitlist for one of those aft suites I know you two love so much?

 

I can't wait to read the review since I'm still trying to convince DH that we NEED to go to Alaska!

Edited April 14, 2016 by perfect match

[texasgirl29]

A slow afternoon at work and this thread was the perfect way to get me reminiscing about past days at sea, most recently last summer on the Eclipse in the Baltics. Like any good mom, I view the cruises I've been on as you would your children: all mostly wonderful, a few quirks I can overlook but I just can't play favorites.

 

I'm sad to hear the Island got a subpar redesign. We sailed on her for two wonderful cruises: Panama Canal at Christmas and again in Alaska. The panama cruise was really great because of the waiter who dazzled our young daughters. They were so disappointed he wasn't on the Island on Alaska.

 

Thinking about British isles in 2017 on the Caribbean Princess. I read Deloreangirl's review and I'm ready to go NOW.

 

 

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[Bimmer09]

Congratulations! Sounds like you made a great choice! :D

 

One of the problems for me with cruising on several different lines is that I sometimes forget who does what. I can't remember if Princess does waitlists in case a cabin you want opens up. So, can you waitlist for one of those aft suites I know you two love so much?

 

I can't wait to read the review since I'm still trying to convince DH that we NEED to go to Alaska!

 

Hi, Nancy.

 

We can always ask our Personal Cruise Planner man to keep an eye out for cancellations among the aft suites.

 

At the minute we haven't chosen excursions. I should say I have wish listed a few in each port but Carol hasn't checked in to read them. Anything with a helicopter or floatplane involved will bump up the price and our OBC is only $100 each. The goal is to come in way under the cost of a European trip so we may just stay happy in a Mini suite. Sabatini breakfast is the only thing we'll lose I believe.

 

We enjoyed our MDR breakfasts on the Ruby although the atmosphere (the quiet) wasn't there.

 

This will be our 3rd Alaska trip in 5 years but it's not like going back to St Maarten 3 times. The cameras will get a real work-out!

 

Cheers!

 

Norris

 

[KruzeKrazy!]

If you haven't done it a float plane to Misty Fjords (especially if the weather cooperates), while a bit more expensive than the average excursion, is a nice one.

 

Brian

Edited April 14, 2016 by KruzeKrazy!

[CRLess]

 

 

Long story short..... we are booked on the

 

STAR PRINCESS

 

SEPTEMBER 10TH VOYAGE OF THE GLACIERS NORTHBOUND FROM VANCOUVER

 

 

 

Norris

 

Lucky you...for two reasons. First, you are going on a cruise and second, I have some pretty good information (as in an email from him), that a certain Maitre D' friend will be aboard the Star Princess for his contract that begins next month. Last minute changes are possible, but as of a week ago, that was the current plan. I will let you know if I hear of any change to his assignment.

[Bimmer09]

If you haven't done it a float plane to Misty Fjords (especially if the weather cooperates), while a bit more expensive than the average excursion, is a nice one.

 

Brian

 

Brian, we did that excursion with Island Wings on our first Alaska cruise. It was worth every penny spent. We certainly won't rule it out in Ketchikan.

 

Norris

[KruzeKrazy!]

Brian, we did that excursion with Island Wings on our first Alaska cruise. It was worth every penny spent. We certainly won't rule it out in Ketchikan.

 

Norris

 

Norris -

 

We agree. We were fortunate to have a nice clear afternoon around Ketchikan and will never forget the peace and quite when we landed and stood on the plane's pontoons on a glacier lake. Wonderful!

 

We loved our first Alaska cruise (I surprised my wife for our 35th anniversary) so much (HAL mini-suite) that we sent our son and bride on the exact same cruise a year later for their honeymoon and then returned ourselves on a Princess 10-day out of SFO (in an aft suite, of course!) a year after that.

 

And we're talking about returning - this time for a cruisetour (although we're currently booked for a 10-day Hawaii out of SFO).

Edited April 15, 2016 by KruzeKrazy!

[Bimmer09]

Lucky you...for two reasons. First, you are going on a cruise and second, I have some pretty good information (as in an email from him), that a certain Maitre D' friend will be aboard the Star Princess for his contract that begins next month. Last minute changes are possible, but as of a week ago, that was the current plan. I will let you know if I hear of any change to his assignment.

 

Chris, as Neville is my favorite MD this would indeed be the icing on the cake!

 

Thanks for the heads-up!

 

Norris

[Bimmer09]

Don't believe we will ever sail anything but RCCL but I just had to read this whole review, a little late but still so entertaining as usual. Thanks Norris

 

Julia and Carl, glad to see you have been reading along. If you're happy with RCCL then I'm happy!

 

Best wishes,

 

Norris

[NCHPcruiser]

Very informative! Thank you for taking the time to write this comparison (and posting your photography) as well as the review on the Celebrity forum. We have only sailed on Celebrity S class ships but after your comparison now know that we could easily be happy on a Princess Ship, at least we could be on the Ruby.

[Barky]

I was just finishing up my reading of all your reviews and preparing myself for a long wait for another review when I came upon your note regarding your Star cruise in Sept. It would appear that that is about to happen so I will wish you both a Bon Voyage.

 

Many thanks for allowing me to vicariously cruise with you. I haven't been on a ship since 2005 which is what led me to read reviews this summer. I hit the jackpot with your reviews Norris. Absolutely fabulous! Thank you for all your hard work and dedication and your terrific photographic skills.

 

Again, Bon Voyage. See you soon.

[May B]

Yes....too late to cancel. Once final payment is made it's a done deal. Just made final payment yesterday for our May cruise.

 

X's website is horrible and they keep saying they are working on it. :rolleyes:

 

You can use OBC at the spa, the nail salon, specialty restaurants or update your drink package....get money at the casino to gamble with. I always get a polish change if we're on a longer cruise.

 

 

 

It's not totally true that it's a done deal after final payment. If you see a nicer cabin available for just a bit more money, you can pay the difference. Be sure to pay attention to the perks, b/c they don't go with your booking. Find out what the new/nicer/pricier cabin will include for perks.

 

This of course won't help those who were sailing last spring, but I wanted to be sure this was mentioned, in case anybody has a Celebrity booked in the future.

 

 

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[Gctw]

There are two pools on the Royal Princess - the Retreat Pool (adults only) and the family pool. The Regal has a 3rd but it sounds more like an oversized hot tub. We missed the Promenade on our first (of 3) Royal cruise but used the walking/jogging complex on the upper deck for exercise. For us that one disappointment was outweighed by the beautiful ship and the multitude of dining venues.

 

 

Thank you! As a single mom who has worked hard to take her two teens on the Royal in a few weeks I was starting to get nervous with all the bad reviews.

 

I've cruised many lines and many times in my life but this will be my first time on Princess.

 

I'm thoroughly enjoying your review, Norris. Thank you!

 

 

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[shipfriend_max]

Hey Bimmer09,

 

That's a very interesting thread I just became aware of now... :eek:

 

It is really interestint for me to read through it - I really loved Crown and Emerald Princess and really look forward to Star Princess in March 2017.

Looking back IMHO Princess has been better than Celebrity in some cases, such as food and service especially - I have been on Millennium and Summit and also really liked the ships as such.

 

At the time of cruising on them I thought there's nothing better than Celebrity - but to be honest, I even found NCL to be very comparable and as good as Celebrity, regarding main dining room dinner and service quality!!

 

There is one point where I am different than you: Pools - IMHO the Grand-Class-ships of Princess are unbeatable here, as well as in the ships layout.

I love the five pools on those ships, the passenger flow is mixed up VERY WELL here ddue to the many different pool and deck areas, and it never feels crowded at any time.

Although I just know Millennium Class, the pool layout actually is similar to S-Class, with two mid pools and one Solarium. Since those areas are rather bundled, in a smaller space there are more people, so in my opinion it felt more crowded than on Crown/Emerald Princess. :)

 

So with those observations I am really interested how it will be on Princess (and HAL) next year, but actually I consider Princess to be the best cruise line among the mass market...

Edited October 29, 2016 by shipfriend_max