Compare and Contrast Princess and Celebrity -

[JP350]

I’m thinking about booking a celebrity or princess cruise for April 2023 princess currently has the better price, but celebrity is looking appealing. Could anyone compare and contrast the two lines similarities and differences. I’ve takes 22 rccl cruises 25 total so I’ll have status with celebrity. The ships I’m looking at are regal princess or celebrity apex. Any info you guys can give is greatly appreciated 

[Torfamm]

We sail on both lines frequently and find that they are more alike than different.  There are pros and cons to both and I can't say that I have a clear favorite, the decision is usually based on itinerary.

 

in my opinion, Celebrity has significantly better food and we love that there is no smoking anywhere inside the ship, including the casino. Smoking in the casino is the biggest negative to sailing with Princess for me.

 

On Princess, we like the fact that there is savory food available in the International Cafe rather than just the pastries and desserts available in Cafe al Bacio on Celebrity. We also like that availability of self-serve laundry on Princess ships.  It makes a big difference on long trips. We also enjoy formal nights. We also like that option to order from the Medallion app on Princess ships, it's especially convenient for coffee in the morning and enjoy formal nights.

[bigeagle12]

44 minutes ago, Torfamm said:

We sail on both lines frequently and find that they are more alike than different.  There are pros and cons to both and I can't say that I have a clear favorite, the decision is usually based on itinerary.

 

in my opinion, Celebrity has significantly better food and we love that there is no smoking anywhere inside the ship, including the casino. Smoking in the casino is the biggest negative to sailing with Princess for me.

 

On Princess, we like the fact that there is savory food available in the International Cafe rather than just the pastries and desserts available in Cafe al Bacio on Celebrity. We also like that availability of self-serve laundry on Princess ships.  It makes a big difference on long trips. We also enjoy formal nights. We also like that option to order from the Medallion app on Princess ships, it's especially convenient for coffee in the morning and enjoy formal nights.

We sail both too and agree with everything said above.  Starting to sail Princess more because we do not Celebrity’s mandatory all-inclusive pricing.  We are not big drinkers. 
 

Celebrity is a little more upscale and Murano’s specialty restaurant is in our opinion the best specialty restaurant at sea.

 

Princess we love the burgers at the pool and the pizza.  

Edited July 14, 2022 by bigeagle12

[Steelers36]

I am beginning to get the impression that X is now nicer than Princess due to Princess pulling back on quality in food and some other things.  X was a different thing last time we were on them.  We wouldn't want a forced drink package, however.

[mom says]

13 minutes ago, bigeagle12 said:

 Starting to sail Princess more because we do not Celebrity’s mandatory all-inclusive pricing.  We are not big drinkers.

Celebrity has made a recent change to their fee structure on most sailings. Similar to Princess, you can choose either a sail only option, or the Always Included. 

[LACruiser88]

Btw, there are alot of Princess vs Celebrity threads on this forum, do a search....

[mtnesterz]

If you have done 22 cruises with RCCL, you are probably at least Diamond, making you Elite with Celebrity. That should weigh heavily in your decision, for that cruise and your future benefit levels. We have sailed both lines. Agree with the above regarding food. Did not like the Regal. At 3600 passengers, Apex at 2900, better sized.

You might browse the Medallion Masters section at the top of the Princess board.  Some had zero problems with the App. Some, like us, had nothing but problems. Put down the brochures, this is what cruising Princess really is now.

Edited July 14, 2022 by mtnesterz

[bigeagle12]

4 minutes ago, mom says said:

Celebrity has made a recent change to their fee structure on most sailings. Similar to Princess, you can choose either a sail only option, or the Always Included. 

The sail only option is normally only available for cruises within the next 2 or 3 months which we may do sometimes but normally like booking well in advance to get cabin we want.  

[Mike45LC]

The two lines are very similar.  Princess: Less expensive.  Better itineraries.  And since I live in the western US, a market that Celebrity abandoned decades ago, sailing Princess out of Los Angeles saved me airfare ($$) and hassles.

 

Celebrity: Somewhat upscale from Princess.  More people dressing for dinner.  More senior citizens, fewer children.  Food is better.

 

Recently, we have been sailing in Club Class and Aqua, so both lines were giving us upgraded services.  I prefer the Club Class experience to Blu (separatge restaurant for the Aqua class passengers).  

 

One thing that really annoyed me on my most recent Celebrity cruise (this was pre-Covid): the buffet was closed just about every day when we returned to the ship from a port excursion.   I often did not enjoy the lunch served on the excursions (I am a very picky eater), and I’ve been hungry when I returned to the ship mid-afternoon.  Pizza and hot dog are NOT what I cruise for!  Unlike Celebrity, Princess would have the buffet open all day.

 

Drink package:   As non-drinkers, that would simply boost the price difference even more, likely killing any price comparisons!  I hope Celebrity retains the Sail Only pricing.
 

[bigeagle12]

25 minutes ago, Mike45LC said:

Drink package:   As non-drinkers, that would simply boost the price difference even more, likely killing any price comparisons!  I hope Celebrity retains the Sail Only pricing.
 

Unfortunately the Sail Only Pricing is only on select cruises 😥

[Steelers0854]

As other have said, more alike than different, while we have only been on 1 X cruise we had a wonderful time and I would book another in a heartbeat.  We very much enjoyed the aqua class experience, but we bid for an upgrade I’m not sure i would have paid outright for it. I think you will enjoy it if you like the Princess experience.  

[Cruise Raider]

We have sailed on both lines several times ... each has their plusses and minuses.  

We've only been on Princess since the restart but have another Celebrity cruise booked for next year.  I'm not sure I would say (IMO) that Celebrity has better food than Princess ... I would say that it all really depends on what you order and what you expect.  Specialty restaurants on Princess are about half of what they will cost you on Celebrity.  Both are great! 

The beds on Princess are phenomenal as are the open closet designs. Princess also has onboard laundromats for everyone to us.  Even though we get free laundry on Princess, we still only use the self serve laundromats.  

I like the loyalty perks on Celebrity a bit more.  I also like it is a more adult atmosphere onboard or at least, less kids.  

 

You may want to look at CoVid protocols.  Hopefully, they won't be in place by next year but who'd have ever thought it would last this long.  Princess has been placing those with CoVid in balcony cabins, I've read that Celebrity might not be doing the same.  I have no proof of the latter, though. 

 

I'd just go for the itinerary and pricing you like better.  I think you'd be happy on either one. 

 

[suekel]

I just booked my first Celebrity yesterday due to itinerary.  I'll miss my perks on Princess being elite but itinerary won out.  I find the Celebrity website to be confusing.  They didn't have anytime dining available so we have a set time but there are 4 dining rooms which serve different food.  I want to try them all so I'm hoping we can get that figured out onboard.  The included drink package on Celebrity sucks compared to Princess Plus so we might have to upgrade.  But, the ship Apex looks awesome and I'm excited to give it a try.  

[azbirdmom]

54 minutes ago, suekel said:

I just booked my first Celebrity yesterday due to itinerary.  I'll miss my perks on Princess being elite but itinerary won out.  I find the Celebrity website to be confusing.  They didn't have anytime dining available so we have a set time but there are 4 dining rooms which serve different food.  I want to try them all so I'm hoping we can get that figured out onboard.  The included drink package on Celebrity sucks compared to Princess Plus so we might have to upgrade.  But, the ship Apex looks awesome and I'm excited to give it a try.  

 

You should be able to waitlist for their anytime dining.  I saw that option available when I was doing a mock booking on their site.  I did end up booking our cruise with a TA and only late traditional was available when we finally got around to booking.  I was going to ask her about waitlisting for our preferred dining time but I kept checking the Celebrity website and the anytime option opened up.  She grabbed it for us immediately which was a good thing as only late dining is available again.  So if you would prefer anytime, you might want to ask about the waitlist and periodically check the website to see if they show it's opened up.

[ALWAYS CRUZIN]

8 hours ago, JP350 said:

I’m thinking about booking a celebrity or princess cruise for April 2023 princess currently has the better price, but celebrity is looking appealing. Could anyone compare and contrast the two lines similarities and differences. I’ve takes 22 rccl cruises 25 total so I’ll have status with celebrity. The ships I’m looking at are regal princess or celebrity apex. Any info you guys can give is greatly appreciated 

Simple. Celebrity is upscale from Princess. Better everything.

[suekel]

1 hour ago, azbirdmom said:

 

You should be able to waitlist for their anytime dining.  I saw that option available when I was doing a mock booking on their site.  I did end up booking our cruise with a TA and only late traditional was available when we finally got around to booking.  I was going to ask her about waitlisting for our preferred dining time but I kept checking the Celebrity website and the anytime option opened up.  She grabbed it for us immediately which was a good thing as only late dining is available again.  So if you would prefer anytime, you might want to ask about the waitlist and periodically check the website to see if they show it's opened up.

Where on the website would that be?  I find the website to be terrible in finding what I am looking for.  When I booked yesterday, the option was grayed out and said unavailable. 

[azbirdmom]

9 minutes ago, suekel said:

Where on the website would that be?  I find the website to be terrible in finding what I am looking for.  When I booked yesterday, the option was grayed out and said unavailable. 

It was there when I did a mock booking but not after my TA booked it.  Thinking that your TA should be able to do it, or Celebrity if you booked direct since it clearly was an option at booking.

[JP350]

9 hours ago, LACruiser88 said:

Btw, there are alot of Princess vs Celebrity threads on this forum, do a search....

I read those, but most of those are from either before staffing shortages, covid, and from ehat I've heard cutback by princess on food and other experiances.

[JP350]

4 hours ago, Cruise Raider said:

We have sailed on both lines several times ... each has their plusses and minuses.  

We've only been on Princess since the restart but have another Celebrity cruise booked for next year.  I'm not sure I would say (IMO) that Celebrity has better food than Princess ... I would say that it all really depends on what you order and what you expect.  Specialty restaurants on Princess are about half of what they will cost you on Celebrity.  Both are great! 

The beds on Princess are phenomenal as are the open closet designs. Princess also has onboard laundromats for everyone to us.  Even though we get free laundry on Princess, we still only use the self serve laundromats.  

I like the loyalty perks on Celebrity a bit more.  I also like it is a more adult atmosphere onboard or at least, less kids.  

 

You may want to look at CoVid protocols.  Hopefully, they won't be in place by next year but who'd have ever thought it would last this long.  Princess has been placing those with CoVid in balcony cabins, I've read that Celebrity might not be doing the same.  I have no proof of the latter, though. 

 

I'd just go for the itinerary and pricing you like better.  I think you'd be happy on either one. 

 

Princess has a better Ittenary and Price, but we really love the food on cruises and that's why we're considering celebrity. We also have rccl diamond plus status so with a match (sister brands) so we'll have status, but that won't make or break the cruise. I haven't heard anything about celebrity, but I know that Royal quarantines in ocean view rooms on deck one or two. 

[JP350]

4 hours ago, suekel said:

I just booked my first Celebrity yesterday due to itinerary.  I'll miss my perks on Princess being elite but itinerary won out.  I find the Celebrity website to be confusing.  They didn't have anytime dining available so we have a set time but there are 4 dining rooms which serve different food.  I want to try them all so I'm hoping we can get that figured out onboard.  The included drink package on Celebrity sucks compared to Princess Plus so we might have to upgrade.  But, the ship Apex looks awesome and I'm excited to give it a try.  

Did you book on the apex? I like the dining room concept. Royal did the same thing on the quantum class ships and I like that. 

[JP350]

3 hours ago, azbirdmom said:

 

You should be able to waitlist for their anytime dining.  I saw that option available when I was doing a mock booking on their site.  I did end up booking our cruise with a TA and only late traditional was available when we finally got around to booking.  I was going to ask her about waitlisting for our preferred dining time but I kept checking the Celebrity website and the anytime option opened up.  She grabbed it for us immediately which was a good thing as only late dining is available again.  So if you would prefer anytime, you might want to ask about the waitlist and periodically check the website to see if they show it's opened up.

Yeah when I did a mock booking a waitlist was offered, but I've found that on royal if you ask at guest services on the ship (quantum class) they can switch you even if it's showing full online. If you keep checking and book with celebrity you can change your dining time on their website.

[PurpleTraveller]

I have only done one Celebrity cruise on Reflection post Covid and ten Princess cruises pre Covid. I found that they are more similar than different however there are some Pros and Cons.

 

Princess wins with :

- Guest laundries - none on Celebrity

- International Cafe - much better than Celebrity's Cafe Al Bacio

- Atrium on Royal class ships

- Alfredo's particularly on Royal class ships

- Destination lectures - none on Celebrity

- Food in Buffet much better 

- More storage space in cabins

- Better Production Shows in theatre

 

Celebrity wins with :

- Better designed bathroom with shower door in cabins 

- Sofa in cabins - Princess does not have any chair to sit on in Interior, Oceanview or Balcony cabins other than a desk chair

- Younger demographic of passengers (on my cruise)

- Food in Main Dining Room better

- Sunset Bar

- Oceanview Cafe rear outside balcony

- Less expensive shore excursions

- Less announcements on PA

 

There are probably more differences but those are the main ones for me. I loved my cruise on Celebrity Reflection and the design of the ship but also love Princess and will happily cruise with both again.

 

[JP350]

2 hours ago, suekel said:

Where on the website would that be?  I find the website to be terrible in finding what I am looking for.  When I booked yesterday, the option was grayed out and said unavailable. 

If your booking it's a little blue piece of text right below the dining language. I've found their website clunky and slow to navigate. I wish I could find a picture, but I searched 7 sailings and all of them have the anytime selected. 

[Ken the cruiser]

12 hours ago, JP350 said:

I’m thinking about booking a celebrity or princess cruise for April 2023 princess currently has the better price, but celebrity is looking appealing. Could anyone compare and contrast the two lines similarities and differences. I’ve takes 22 rccl cruises 25 total so I’ll have status with celebrity. The ships I’m looking at are regal princess or celebrity apex. Any info you guys can give is greatly appreciated 

We are currently on a 21 day B3B Med cruise on the Regal and having a great time. We are in a CC mini suite which allows us to eat in the Club Class dining section anytime without a reservation when they’re open. We sailed on the Apex in a SV for a 16 day B2B this past November in the Caribbean had a fabulous time!! We definitely prefer a SV cabin over one of their Infinite Balcony cabins, but that’s a personal preference. 
 

But, I will say we very much enjoy going to the evening shows as well as a variety of game shows in the evening while on the ship. We like Princess for their longer more unique itineraries, but also like Celebrity if we want to go on a 2-3 week cruise and just be entertained. BTW the Apex cost $1.2 billion to build and has a Tree of Life prop in one of their shows that cost over $1 million to create.

 

But, as some others have said, the Elite status does come with some perks, to include one free bag of laundry for each of you if you’re both at that level. 
 

BTW I did a Live from the Apex thread (see below) back in November and am currently doing one on the Regal (see below), if you’re curious about our experiences on both ships.

 

In either case, you’ll have a great time regardless of which cruise line you choose! 😁

 

https://boards.cruisecritic.com/topic/2862910-live-from-the-regal-july-2-23-med-cruise-rt-barcelona/page/1/

 

https://boards.cruisecritic.com/topic/2811263-nov-6-apex-b2b-east-west-caribbean-cruise/

Edited July 15, 2022 by Ken the cruiser

[suekel]

10 hours ago, JP350 said:

Did you book on the apex? I like the dining room concept. Royal did the same thing on the quantum class ships and I like that. 

I did