Princess compared to Celebrity

[Lady Arwen]

1 minute ago, Cruise Raider said:

I am hoping it doesn’t but already see the writing on the wall.  

Agree 100%

[rj59]

I'm Elite on Princess and have been on 30 cruises. That said, Celebrity Apex, a previous itineration of the Beyond, was the most wonderful ship I've ever been on. There's so much more to do on Beyond, especially entertainment, with two production casts and incredible shows both in the main theater and later shows in Eden. You get the multiple dining rooms with themed decor and menus, the Eden cafe for lunch and breakfast, and the magic carpet, which is incredible for tender ports (and their debarkation area is very roomy and quick). The rooftop garden is wonderful, with the two-level walking track going through it. The only thing you don't get on Beyond is the big movie screen dominating the pool deck, but I get sick on Princess of concerts and sports and movies blaring all day and evening on a screen--it's kind of sad for people to go on vacation and stare at screens, even a big one. And the pizza is better on Princess, although the Celebrity buffet one on Beyond will be better, especially if you catch it right out of the oven. But all the people here have their own biases, such as those who love bingo and game shows (big on Princess) or a central piazza where they can sit and watch ballroom dancers or music (the Beyond atrium area is a lively martini bar, with coffee shop and other bars on higher levels). So I'd watch some YouTube tours and reviews of each ship. I'd particularly recommend "Which Premium cruise line is on top of their game right now" by Gary Bembridge on Tips for Travelers, the top-rated cruise review channel, with in-depth comparison of Princess, HAL, and Celebrity and who each is right for. Like me, he's a little burned out on the sameness of Princess ships and finds the Edge-class on Celebrity more innovative. That might change with Sun Princess, but then one of his criticisms is that Princess ships are getting too big for comfort, which I have found to be true on Royal-class ships, now that ships are full again (Beyond is about 500 fewer passengers at full occupancy). 

Edited November 19, 2023 by rj59

[Lady Arwen]

43 minutes ago, rj59 said:

I'm Elite on Princess and have been on 30 cruises. That said, Celebrity Apex, a previous itineration of the Beyond, was the most wonderful ship I've ever been on. There's so much more to do on Beyond, especially entertainment, with two production casts and incredible shows both in the main theater and later shows in Eden. You get the multiple dining rooms with themed decor and menus, the Eden cafe for lunch and breakfast, and the magic carpet, which is incredible for tender ports (and their debarkation area is very roomy and quick). The rooftop garden is wonderful, with the two-level walking track going through it. The only thing you don't get on Beyond is the big movie screen dominating the pool deck, but I get sick on Princess of concerts and sports and movies blaring all day and evening on a screen--it's kind of sad for people to go on vacation and stare at screens, even a big one. And the pizza is better on Princess, although the Celebrity buffet one on Beyond will be better, especially if you catch it right out of the oven. But all the people here have their own biases, such as those who love bingo and game shows (big on Princess) or a central piazza where they can sit and watch ballroom dancers or music (the Beyond atrium area is a lively martini bar, with coffee shop and other bars on higher levels). So I'd watch some YouTube tours and reviews of each ship. I'd particularly recommend "Which Premium cruise line is on top of their game right now" by Gary Bembridge on Tips for Travelers, the top-rated cruise review channel, with in-depth comparison of Princess, HAL, and Celebrity and who each is right for. Like me, he's a little burned out on the sameness of Princess ships and finds the Edge-class on Celebrity more innovative. That might change with Sun Princess, but then one of his criticisms is that Princess ships are getting too big for comfort, which I have found to be true on Royal-class ships, now that ships are full again (Beyond is about 500 fewer passengers at full occupancy). 

We’re sailing on the newest ship Celebrity Ascent December 31st.  Happy New Year!

[Steelers36]

8 minutes ago, Lady Arwen said:

We’re sailing on the newest ship Celebrity Ascent December 31st.  Happy New Year!

Hope you post a report and let us know here where to find it.  I presume on X board.

[Lady Arwen]

38 minutes ago, Steelers36 said:

Hope you post a report and let us know here where to find it.  I presume on X board.

My DH is the account holder on the Celebrity Boards, although I do chime in on occasion. He’s not much of poster, but loves to read every single thread.  My DH never follows Princess! lol.  I will definitely post something!   We’re very much looking forward to it, but honestly, we don’t do Caribbean cruises anymore.  Just wanting to experience the newest ship.

[Lady Arwen]

3 hours ago, Steelers36 said:

Have not been on X for ages, but no one has mentioned that there is no indoor smoking on X compared to PCL.  That would almost be enough to make me go again, but price would have to be very comparable and I am not thinking that will be the case.

May I ask which Celebrity ship you been on.  Would love to get your take on the brand.  We enjoy the older M class ships, as well as S class and #1 Edge class.  S class ships would be most comparable to Princess ships.

 

 

 

 

[dreaminofcruisin]

3 hours ago, SCX22 said:

As of recent, Princess' service has taken a dive.  Crew that interacts with passengers does their jobs, but there's no passion in what they are doing and rarely do they go out of their way.  Lots of newbies on their first or second contract.  The ones that have returned are managers or supervisors.  Many of the crew with seniority but in low positions have expressed the desire to move on to greener pastures and take contracts with Disney/RCCL/X because they pay more.  On the Enchanted in the Med currently and there was a group of servers that were sent home because they didn't make the cut.  No replacement crew until ship reaches Fort Lauderdale.  Lido managers have had to have room service folks brought up to the buffet in the evening because there is no one else to do the job.  Mini bar swap is handled by room service on this ship but didn't happen for 2 days because they are short staffed.

 

 

Interesting. It really shows how we all have different experiences.

 

We were just on Enchanted for 14 days in October and the crew was the BEST I have ever had on 14 cruises! I had so many people to write glowing reviews for in the survey, I had to have a list.....

We've never had so many crew know us and know our names (without their ipads) on any other cruise.

[asctony]

40 minutes ago, dreaminofcruisin said:

 

Interesting. It really shows how we all have different experiences.

 

We were just on Enchanted for 14 days in October and the crew was the BEST I have ever had on 14 cruises! I had so many people to write glowing reviews for in the survey, I had to have a list.....

We've never had so many crew know us and know our names (without their ipads) on any other cruise.

We were on Celebrity last year and celebrated our wedding anniversary. This year we were on the Enchanted.

Without going into details Celebrity Captain ensured we will never forget that special event!

On the Enchanted didn't even get an acknowledgement from any Officer.

Yes, in the Crown Grill they gave  us little Princess cake and sang Happy Anniversary.

We were on the Enchanted for 22 days. Celebrity 7 days.

 

Yes! Interesting. It really shows how we all have different experiences.

[Steelers36]

2 hours ago, Lady Arwen said:

May I ask which Celebrity ship you been on.  Would love to get your take on the brand.  We enjoy the older M class ships, as well as S class and #1 Edge class.  S class ships would be most comparable to Princess ships.

 

 

 

 

Before that.  My impressions of X are outdated and inconsequential.  That said, it was nice.  It was another era - like over 20 yrs ago.

[rj59]

Another thing I really love about Celebrity ships, both in hot and cold weather, is the covered, temperature-controlled solarium, with its own cafe (I don't know about Beyond, but Apex had a secret free espresso machine in the solarium spa cafe). I hate doing Princess coastal cruises and Alaska ones with no covered pool area (except on a few older ships and Majestic), which makes it pretty miserable on the pool deck, for passengers and crew. Even in the Caribbean I valued the solarium on Apex, because it got too hot for me to bake in the sun, and the solarium was kept cool, and had a small pool that wasn't as busy as the main one. 

[stevenr597]

3 hours ago, dreaminofcruisin said:

 

Interesting. It really shows how we all have different experiences.

 

We were just on Enchanted for 14 days in October and the crew was the BEST I have ever had on 14 cruises! I had so many people to write glowing reviews for in the survey, I had to have a list.....

We've never had so many crew know us and know our names (without their ipads) on any other cruise.

We recently completed a 15 day Trans-Atlantic on Regal Princess.  The crew was the best, especially those in Horizon Court, and in the Concerto Dining Room.  Many of them, especially in the dining room new out names, and our preferences while dining. 

Have there been cutbacks since "The Good Old Days" Remember the Mid-Night Buffets etc.  Indeed, there has, but I do believe that the cruise lines, including Princess are doing their best to make a recovery from the Pandemic and despite inflation. 

[Cruise Junky]

Celebrity would always be our first choice. But if X doesn’t offer the itinerary, Princess is a decent backup.  Just can’t stand the smoking in the casino.  

[Torfamm]

You haven’t mentioned the cabins you are comparing. I personally can’t stand the infinite verandas on Celebrity’s Edge class ships so I’d pick a traditional balcony on Enchanted if those were my two options.

[Lady Arwen]

4 hours ago, Torfamm said:

You haven’t mentioned the cabins you are comparing. I personally can’t stand the infinite verandas on Celebrity’s Edge class ships so I’d pick a traditional balcony on Enchanted if those were my two options.

There are your traditional balconies on Edge class ships, but they book quickly.  We try for the ones on deck 6 aft.  You still get a nice sofa and coffee table and the bathrooms, in every stateroom category, are exceptional and far superior to Princess, unless you book a suite.  I’m not a fan of the Infinite balcony, either.  However, it that’s all I could get, then I’d take it.

[doghog]

5 hours ago, Torfamm said:

You haven’t mentioned the cabins you are comparing. I personally can’t stand the infinite verandas on Celebrity’s Edge class ships so I’d pick a traditional balcony on Enchanted if those were my two options.

When we cruise the E class ships we pick Deluxe Porthole Verandas (DPV). There are also the Sunset verandas (SV). Both types are not IVs. 

[stevenr597]

12 minutes ago, doghog said:

When we cruise the E class ships we pick Deluxe Porthole Verandas (DPV). There are also the Sunset verandas (SV). Both types are not IVs. 

Used to be a choice of balcony vs no balcony.  Of course the cruise industry would have to make this choice much more complicated. 

[doghog]

Just now, stevenr597 said:

Used to be a choice of balcony vs no balcony.  Of course the cruise industry would have to make this choice much more complicated. 

Only on Celebrity's  E class ships. Not fleetwide. I don't have an issue with the choices. The only bummer is on the E Class ships the DPVs and SVs staterooms are limited in numbers and location. And depending on the stateroom category (Aqua or Concierge class) your only choice is IV staterooms. 

[Torfamm]

4 hours ago, Lady Arwen said:

There are your traditional balconies on Edge class ships, but they book quickly.  We try for the ones on deck 6 aft.  You still get a nice sofa and coffee table and the bathrooms, in every stateroom category, are exceptional and far superior to Princess, unless you book a suite.  I’m not a fan of the Infinite balcony, either.  However, it that’s all I could get, then I’d take it.

I really like the sunset veranda cabins on Edge class ships. They are fantastic and there really aren’t words to describe how much nicer the bathrooms are compared to Princess ships 😂

Edited November 21, 2023 by Torfamm

[Lady Arwen]

1 minute ago, Torfamm said:

I really like the sunset veranda cabins on Edge class ships. They are fantastic and there really aren’t words to describe how much nicer the bathrooms are 😂

The bathrooms!  Every cruiseship should have these, right!  Love the shower so much.  Can’t wait til December!

[Ken the cruiser]

27 minutes ago, Torfamm said:

I really like the sunset veranda cabins on Edge class ships. They are fantastic and there really aren’t words to describe how much nicer the bathrooms are compared to Princess ships 😂

 

23 minutes ago, Lady Arwen said:

The bathrooms!  Every cruiseship should have these, right!  Love the shower so much.  Can’t wait til December!

Since you both enjoy the Edge class SVs as we did when we were on the Apex back in Nov 2021, maybe you can answer this MDR reservation question. Prior to boarding the Apex back then, we had pre-booked reservations for early seating in one of the MDRs for the entire cruise. However, when we boarded the Apex and went to the MDR, our reservation magically disappeared and all of their MDRs were now designated as Anytime Dining venues where you just show up and stand in line until it's your turn to be seated.

 

Fast forward to today. Celebrity appears to once again be offering Early and Late Seating reservations when booking a cruise on their website. However, on the Celebrity forum today, they are saying Anytime Dining is still the only option once you board an Edge class ship.

 

If you have cruised lately in a non-Aqua/Retreat cabin on an Edge class ship, has Celebrity actually reinstituted the capability to make early and late seating reservations or did they just forget to update their website for 2 years?

[Lady Arwen]

3 minutes ago, Ken the cruiser said:

 

Since you both enjoy the Edge class SVs as we did when we were on the Apex back in Nov 2021, maybe you can answer this MDR reservation question. Prior to boarding the Apex back then, we had pre-booked reservations for early seating in one of the MDRs for the entire cruise. However, when we boarded the Apex and went to the MDR, our reservation magically disappeared and all of their MDRs were now designated as Anytime Dining venues where you just show up and stand in line until it's your turn to be seated.

 

Fast forward to today. Celebrity appears to once again be offering Early and Late Seating reservations when booking a cruise on their website. However, on the Celebrity forum today, they are saying Anytime Dining is still the only option once you board an Edge class ship.

 

If you have cruised lately in a non-Aqua/Retreat cabin on an Edge class ship, has Celebrity actually reinstituted the capability to make early and late seating reservations or did they just forget to update their website for 2 years?

We cruised on Beyond last year and pre booked all MDRs on different nights for late seating and had no problems with our reservations at all.

[Lady Arwen]

1 minute ago, Lady Arwen said:

 

We just showed up at 8:30 and went right in with no wait.  Could be because we eat late?

Edited November 21, 2023 by Lady Arwen

[Lady Arwen]

9 minutes ago, Ken the cruiser said:

 

Since you both enjoy the Edge class SVs as we did when we were on the Apex back in Nov 2021, maybe you can answer this MDR reservation question. Prior to boarding the Apex back then, we had pre-booked reservations for early seating in one of the MDRs for the entire cruise. However, when we boarded the Apex and went to the MDR, our reservation magically disappeared and all of their MDRs were now designated as Anytime Dining venues where you just show up and stand in line until it's your turn to be seated.

 

Fast forward to today. Celebrity appears to once again be offering Early and Late Seating reservations when booking a cruise on their website. However, on the Celebrity forum today, they are saying Anytime Dining is still the only option once you board an Edge class ship.

 

If you have cruised lately in a non-Aqua/Retreat cabin on an Edge class ship, has Celebrity actually reinstituted the capability to make early and late seating reservations or did they just forget to update their website for 2 years?

We’re booked on Ascent for December with Anytime Dining so we’ll see how that goes.

[Torfamm]

21 minutes ago, Ken the cruiser said:

 

Since you both enjoy the Edge class SVs as we did when we were on the Apex back in Nov 2021, maybe you can answer this MDR reservation question. Prior to boarding the Apex back then, we had pre-booked reservations for early seating in one of the MDRs for the entire cruise. However, when we boarded the Apex and went to the MDR, our reservation magically disappeared and all of their MDRs were now designated as Anytime Dining venues where you just show up and stand in line until it's your turn to be seated.

 

Fast forward to today. Celebrity appears to once again be offering Early and Late Seating reservations when booking a cruise on their website. However, on the Celebrity forum today, they are saying Anytime Dining is still the only option once you board an Edge class ship.

 

If you have cruised lately in a non-Aqua/Retreat cabin on an Edge class ship, has Celebrity actually reinstituted the capability to make early and late seating reservations or did they just forget to update their website for 2 years?

I don’t think traditional early and late seating is available on E-class ships. As with Princess, can make a reservation in the same dining room at the same time each night for your party,  then request the same table be assigned for the whole cruise when on board. Requesting a shared table with the same group of strangers each night isn’t an option.

[Ken the cruiser]

Just now, Lady Arwen said:

We cruised on Beyond last year and pre booked all MDRs on different nights for late seating and had no problems with our reservations at all.

Good to know. According to the current details provided on their website, it says that an Early or Late seating reservation "allows you to enjoy dinner at the same table with the same waiter every evening. You'll be assigned one of the four main dining restaurants while having the option to dine in the other three upon request."

 

 

That would be really annoying (again) if they didn't actually honor that Fixed Seating reservation designated at one of the four MDRs once you are onboard, as the person on the current Celebrity thread is suggesting.