Comparing Princess and Celebrity

[perfect match]

Well, Nancy, I thought of the Beatles as soon as I read "And in the end..." as well but thought, nah, that's just my own quirkiness...

 

But that is a great song at the end (not counting Her Majesty, of course) if a great side of a great album that came out toward the end of a great run for a great (the greatest) band!

 

So it's also fitting for those words to signal a great end of a great review from a great reviewer of a great (the greatest) way to enjoy vacations!

Lo

And I must also admit every time we're heading home from a cruise I sing to my DW "Were on our way home..." (I know - a different album but a pertinent reference nonetheless).

 

;)

 

Brian

 

Brian, Norris' reviews are usually full of these song references. It is fun to try and find them, but usually by the time I get there someone else has already found and posted the reference and collected the cyber pillow chocolates or whatever cyber reward is being offered.

 

I do like your song reference as well. Two of us. Definitely a pertinent reference. :D

[Bimmer09]

Great review. We have cruised once on Celebrity and once on Princess, and I found myself agreeing with almost everything you wrote.

 

There really are far more similarities than differences between the two lines.

 

Thank you for your very entertaining and informative review.

 

Thank you! Yes the lines are similar where it really matters-food and service, entertainment and the ships look like ships. Passengers are respectful people looking to relax.

 

I'm glad you enjoyed the read and found the comments balanced.

 

Cheers,

 

Norris

[Bimmer09]

Norris;

 

Many thanks for taking the time to post your observations.....:):):)

 

Bob

 

Thanks Bob! So glad you stuck with it until the end.

 

Cheers,

 

Norris

[Bimmer09]

I really enjoyed all your comparisons here, as well as your review on the Celebrity board. I'm leaving in about two hours for my first S-Class cruise on the Equinox tomorrow, and your writing and pictures have gotten me even more excited than I already was.

 

Like you, I love taking pictures of the ship, and you've inspired me to use my 11-22mm wide angle lens more this trip than I usually do.

 

Thanks again!

 

Cindy, by now you are on the beautiful Equinox....Bon Voyage!

 

Yes, give that lens a workout by all means!

 

Thanks for the kind comments on the reviews. Much appreciated!

 

Norris

 

[greenie082756]

Norris,

 

Well I am finally caught up on the adventures of Norris and Carol.:D

 

You put so much time, effort and creativity into your story. As I read what you wrote, I could hear your voice. Such splendid tales.

 

It is always a pleasure to read. Thank you for sharing and I look forward to your next cruise adventure. :)

 

Thanks!

[Bimmer09]

Norris,

 

Well I am finally caught up on the adventures of Norris and Carol.:D

 

You put so much time, effort and creativity into your story. As I read what you wrote, I could hear your voice. Such splendid tales.

 

It is always a pleasure to read. Thank you for sharing and I look forward to your next cruise adventure. :)

 

Thanks!

 

Thanks Teresa, for the kind words. I was glad to have you along.

 

Further cruise plans are currently on the back burner, apart from Celebrity Reflection in January. We should have a better idea by the time we get back from Houston on May 2.

 

Cheers!

 

Norris

[Bimmer09]

Norris,

 

Once again thank you for a spectacular comparison between Princess and Celebrity.

 

Your pictures and writing style have entertainer me for the last couple of months.

 

will look forward to your future writings but for now I'm heading into withdrawal mode.

 

Regards, Judy

 

Judy, always great to see you in my reviews. So glad you enjoy them so much.

 

More in the future, no doubt.

 

Cheers!

 

Norris

[Bimmer09]

Thanks Norris for another wonderful review. Gives us food for thought on trying Celebrity, especially the S Class.

Best of luck to you on your newest endeavor in your new job.

Look forward to hearing from you again in your future travels.

 

Diana

 

Thanks for the good wishes Diana!

 

I'm looking forward to my 2nd experience in January as the itinerary will bring me back to some places I haven't been since 1986, including Labadee which opened that year. Grand Cayman and Jamaica too. Cozumel we were in 2014. It will also be a return to Miami so we'll have a day either side there.

 

Cheers!

 

Norris

[plan09]

Thank you, Norris.

I was about to google Princess versus Celebrity so I was thrilled to find your review.

I believe you get what you give in life so I can imagine the smiles and well wishes you receive are the ones returned to you.

[Bimmer09]

Thank you, Norris.

I was about to google Princess versus Celebrity so I was thrilled to find your review.

I believe you get what you give in life so I can imagine the smiles and well wishes you receive are the ones returned to you.

 

I am glad you found it and hope you find it helpful.

 

I am indeed very touched by the good wishes of the many people who have responded positively to the reviews. Thanks for your kind thoughts!

 

Norris

[Bimmer09]

Thank you for this thorough and very entertaining review! I have had fun romping along with you, as you have always been and continue to be one of my favorite reviewers. I have sailed Princess eleven times since my last Celebrity cruise a few years ago -- partly because of the wide variety of ships and itineraries Princess offers here on the West Coast and up in Alaska. But I can see that I need to get back on Celebrity and give that cruise line another look-see :)

 

Hi and thank you for following along on another one of my "Romps"

 

I don't think you would dislike X but of course I speak from experience of one ship. But the bones-the service, food, ambiance and entertainment bode well for any Celebrity ship.

 

Hope to see you in my next review! Thanks for the compliments!

 

Norris

[keithm]

Keith, I'm glad you enjoyed both pieces.

 

The Regal B2 where it returns to PE and then sails out again indeed should be a 14 day and more ports could be fitted in. I think X has more varied itineraries in the Caribbean and there's no excuse for P not to.

 

Yes the Sanctuary is pretty unique in the experience it provides- Carol loves it but I of course don't sit still for long as there's always a lampshade somewhere I have to go photograph.

 

When you say you like the food on X more-do you mean the specialty restaurants or the MDR or just ship-wide? I thought Murano was the only restaurant Princess couldn't match. Lawn Club Grill meat is on par with Crown Grill IMO but the LCG ambiance and the experience (and fun) can't be beat. Tuscan Grille I rate alongside Sabatini's as they are both wanna-be Italian restaurants. If they can produce a Giuseppe from the kitchen I'll take that back.

 

Either way the vittles are good on both lines and no man shall go hungry!

 

The Solarium is one of a kind. Home run.

 

Cheers Keith!

 

Norris

The food, we felt was generally quite a bit better on the Eclipse specialty rest. Why can't Princess do Lobster Flambé in Crown Grill like they can in Murano. The quality of the beef was considerably better in the specialty rest. on the Eclipse. Murano has Dover Sole. Crown Grill does not. We also found the food generally better in the MDR on the Eclipse than in the Allegro on the Regal. Desserts were MUCH better on Eclipse. My partner being a pastry chef will personally attest to that fact. The Normal Love desserts were quite good, however. I will rate the food in Horizon better overall than the food on the Eclipse Ocean view Café. The best food we had on the Regal was the Valentine's Day special up in Horizon. About 10 couples showed up for what was easily the best dinner on our 14 day trip. I do rate the food very good overall on the Regal, but just not quite as good as the Eclipse.

[chamima]

The food, we felt was generally quite a bit better on the Eclipse specialty rest. Why can't Princess do Lobster Flambé in Crown Grill like they can in Murano. The quality of the beef was considerably better in the specialty rest. on the Eclipse. Murano has Dover Sole. Crown Grill does not. We also found the food generally better in the MDR on the Eclipse than in the Allegro on the Regal. Desserts were MUCH better on Eclipse. My partner being a pastry chef will personally attest to that fact. The Normal Love desserts were quite good, however. I will rate the food in Horizon better overall than the food on the Eclipse Ocean view Café. The best food we had on the Regal was the Valentine's Day special up in Horizon. About 10 couples showed up for what was easily the best dinner on our 14 day trip. I do rate the food very good overall on the Regal, but just not quite as good as the Eclipse.

 

 

 

I know you are in the food business so probably a more knowledgeable judge than I am but I find the exact opposite.

I am a vegetarian so cannot speak at all to the meat but in general find the food more flavorful on Princess.

And to me there is no comparison in the desserts! We eat in Blu and there has never been a single souffle - which is my favorite dessert on Princess. Many nights in Blu I couldn't find a dessert to my liking (which is probably a good thing) so I just had the sorbet.

As for the Dover Sole in Murano - we tried it once and it was over salted and the worst Dover Sole I've ever had. Haven't been back since.

 

It's always interesting reading different people's takes on what seem to be similar experiences.

(There is a post on the Princess board about the over-loudness of the music and yet I was on the same cruise and found it perfect and one of my favorite parts of the cruise. ) (They still have a string quartet!!!!! )

 

I do agree about the itineraries. I wish Princess would bring back a true 14 day in the Caribbean.

(And, as long as I'm wishing, more Tahiti cruises in the winter)

Edited March 15, 2016 by chamima

[keithm]

I know you are in the food business so probably a more knowledgeable judge than I am but I find the exact opposite.

I am a vegetarian so cannot speak at all to the meat but in general find the food more flavorful on Princess.

And to me there is no comparison in the desserts! We eat in Blu and there has never been a single souffle - which is my favorite dessert on Princess. Many nights in Blu I couldn't find a dessert to my liking (which is probably a good thing) so I just had the sorbet.

As for the Dover Sole in Murano - we tried it once and it was over salted and the worst Dover Sole I've ever had. Haven't been back since.

 

It's always interesting reading different people's takes on what seem to be similar experiences.

(There is a post on the Princess board about the over-loudness of the music and yet I was on the same cruise and found it perfect and one of my favorite parts of the cruise. ) (They still have a string quartet!!!!! )

 

I do agree about the itineraries. I wish Princess would bring back a true 14 day in the Caribbean.

(And, as long as I'm wishing, more Tahiti cruises in the winter)

Our Dover Sole was excellent. I thought you were a vegetarian?? No Soufflé? I've heard that Blu was supposed to serve more "healthy" food. That may be the reason for no soufflé. We definitely had soufflé in Moonlight Sonata. Did you try the sorbet intermezzo between your app. & your main course? We've done that on every cruise we do. We just mention it to our staff & they take care of it. We don't insist on the first night as it gets chaotic with new staff etc. I'll give Princess credit, they had it available the first night. We've frequently had pax around us asking us about it. Not being a vegetarian we found the overall food to still be better on the Eclipse, the exception is Horizon, which definitely had more variety than Ocean view Café.

[chamima]

I guess technically I'm a pescatarian.

I eat fish but am allergic to shellfish.

[MisterMet]

Well done sir, well done!

[suzyed]

I might be a tad more interested in the comparison of just the MDR menus rather than throwing the specialty/limited access dining rooms into the mix.

 

I think a comparison of specialty restaurants, on their own, side by side, would also be an interesting exercise!

:)

[Bimmer09]

Well done sir, well done!

 

Thank you sir, I am glad you found it interesting and hope to see you in my future reviews.

 

Cheers,

 

Norris

[Bimmer09]

I might be a tad more interested in the comparison of just the MDR menus rather than throwing the specialty/limited access dining rooms into the mix.

 

I think a comparison of specialty restaurants, on their own, side by side, would also be an interesting exercise!

:)

 

Alas Suzy, I only had one meal in the MDR on Celebrity so can't talk to the menu offerings versus Princess and I am likely just to have one MDR meal on my next X cruise as we have the use of two suites restaurants and the Specialties which are hard to resist.

 

Sabatini's and Tuscan Grille are a draw.

 

Crown Grill and Lawn Club Grill are a draw for the seared meats (but Crown Grill kills on the dessert offerings!) Lawn Club Grill wins on ambiance as there's nothing like it's location on Princess. It's as fun and interactive as you want it to be and it's nice to have a warm Caribbean breeze blowing through the restaurant.

 

Norris

[AZJerry]

Lawn Club Grill wins on ambiance as there's nothing like it's location on Princess. It's as fun and interactive as you want it to be and it's nice to have a warm Caribbean breeze blowing through the restaurant.

 

Not arguing the appeal of the location "on the right cruise" but I'm sure it looses its appeal on colder itineraries. ;)

[Bimmer09]

Not arguing the appeal of the location "on the right cruise" but I'm sure it looses its appeal on colder itineraries. ;)

 

Sure Jerry, just like the swimming pools and every balcony on the ship in that regard, however the LCG has those outdoor heaters that restaurants use on land.

 

Maybe someone has sailed an S Class to the Baltic or Alaska and could chime in?

 

Norris

[nursedibdob]

No Lawn Club Grill on Eclipse, but with a blanket & a drink most of the ship seemed to stay up on the lawn to enjoy the midnight sun in Reykjavik. An amazing night I'll never forget

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Forums mobile app

[suzyed]

Alas Suzy, I only had one meal in the MDR on Celebrity so can't talk to the menu offerings versus Princess and I am likely just to have one MDR meal on my next X cruise as we have the use of two suites restaurants and the Specialties which are hard to resist.

 

Sabatini's and Tuscan Grille are a draw.

 

Crown Grill and Lawn Club Grill are a draw for the seared meats (but Crown Grill kills on the dessert offerings!) Lawn Club Grill wins on ambiance as there's nothing like it's location on Princess. It's as fun and interactive as you want it to be and it's nice to have a warm Caribbean breeze blowing through the restaurant.

 

Norris

 

Thanks Norris!

[travelling8]

Thank you Norris for the great comparison! I am now considering a Princess cruise in the future despite having the perks of being Elite on X and Diamond on RC.

All the best ...

 

Kim :)

[Bimmer09]

Thank you Norris for the great comparison! I am now considering a Princess cruise in the future despite having the perks of being Elite on X and Diamond on RC.

All the best ...

 

Kim :)

 

Thanks Kim, I'll be interested to see if your consideration becomes a booking and to see how you enjoy your cruise when it comes around. When do you think this might happen? You'd be adding another 18 ships and many itineraries to your portfolio!

 

As you can see on this board there are many passionate Princess cruisers-and for good reason. You've already got two great choices but a third won't hurt!

 

Norris