Celebrity Cruisers Try Princess (A Long Review)

[RLM77]

We recently disembarked Caribbean Princess (CB) after completing 5 nights of a 9-night Bermuda/Caribbean cruise. We had to disembark for medical reasons in St. Thomas (not life-threatening, thank goodness), but that’s a subject for another post, except to say that we were very pleased with the way Princess handled our disembarkation. The subject of this post is a comparison of our Princess experience, abbreviated though it was, with our previous Celebrity cruises, the most recent of which was completed in March of this year.

 

The bottom line is that, although Celebrity compares favorably to Princess on many details, sometimes the whole is more than the sum of its parts. Princess’ product was right for us in many respects and we are looking forward to booking and enjoying our next Princess cruise. Details follow.

 

About us: Early 50’s, no children. This was our ninth cruise (previously five Celebrity, one HAL, two Regent). Marlee is mobility-limited due to MS.

 

Embarkation: We do not live on either coast. Therefore, experiencing NYC traffic, even when not driving ourselves, is always a memorable experience. It took about an hour for our car service to get us from La Guardia to the pier, though the distance was not that great and it was not rush hour. The BQE was jammed as was the area immediately around the pier. Not for the faint of heart.

 

We finally arrived at the pier around 11:45 AM. Once there, embarkation was among the smoothest we have experienced. We waited about 15 minutes for Marlee’s wheelchair assistance. Once the wheelchair arrived we checked in and were onboard within another 15 minutes. Painless.

 

The ship: The public areas of CB are very well maintained. The ship will be refurbished within the next 6-8 months but there did not seem to be any necessity to refurbish based on the public areas. Very little seemed worn or tired and, as on many cruise lines, everything was kept extremely clean. Overall, we thought the maintenance of CB’s public areas was better than Celebrity’s.

 

I have to admit that prior to the cruise we were concerned about the low passenger-space ratio on the newer Grand-class ships. [Note: CB actually holds a few more pax than any other Princess vessel because its thermal suite is integrated into the spa rather than on the deck above (as is the case with Crown, Emerald, and Ruby Princess). The space occupied by the thermal suite on the three newer ships is devoted to additional cabins on CB.] But we were very pleasantly surprised. The buzz about this ship is largely true – it almost never feels crowded. There were over 3500 pax aboard for this cruise, including over 400 children and teens, but it was difficult to figure out where everyone was! The only areas of the ship that really felt tight were the buffet and the two main pools. The rest of the ship, including the sun deck, is divided into a series of smaller spaces that were rarely full.

 

Princess makes good use of stairs, railings, and other divisions to create a more intimate feel. It works well.

 

Princess’ attention to the design details of the public areas are also worth mentioning. We noted a great deal of decorative metal work, mosaics, unique carpet patterns, a beautiful compass rose inlaid into the floor in the Wheelhouse Lounge, and many other interesting elements. Celebrity relies more on art work to create design interest while Princess builds interesting architectural elements directly into the ship. Different approaches, both of which work.

 

One feature of Princess’ décor that was notable by its absence is art in the corridors outside the cabins. There is none. In contrast, both Celebrity and Holland America have prints, photographs, etc. in their corridors.

 

The cabin: We booked a mini-suite on Emerald deck. There are only twelve minis on Emerald (all the others are on the Dolphin deck) but these are the only minis with covered balconies; verandas on Dolphin are completely exposed. The price of the mini-suite was roughly comparable to a Concierge Class cabin on a Celebrity Caribbean cruise. For your nickel you get over 100 square feet of additional space compared to an M-Class CC. There is a spacious sitting area with a second TV, a very large closet, and a bathroom with a tub-shower (larger than the tub in HAL Vista-class balcony cabins but still smaller than full-sized) and a large counter-top. The bed was larger than those on either X or HAL (and was rectangular – no rounded ends as on X) but the mattress was less comfortable than on either of the other two lines. Not horrible, though. Lamps next to the bed and on the desk had dimmers, which was a very nice touch. Princess still uses the dreaded ribbed towels (X upgraded their towels late last year) and the Princess waffle robes can’t hold a candle to Celebrity’s Concierge Class terry-cloth robes. The refrigerator was cold and the soft-drink only mini-bar prices were reasonable ($1.95 for a can of soda). The safe is on a higher shelf in the closet, similar to Celebrity and superior to HAL where one needs to bend or squat to access the safe.

 

Interestingly, there was no top sheet, just a bottom sheet and a duvet with a permanent (sewn on) cover. We had to make a special request to obtain a top sheet. The air conditioner worked well and was left at full strength even when in port (unlike either HAL or Celebrity).

 

The mini-suite balcony was slightly larger than a standard cabin’s and had five pieces of furniture on it: a small table, two upright chairs, and two chairs with higher, reclining backs. These last were not true loungers as they did not have anywhere to rest your feet. This was too much furniture for comfort. We moved the table inside the cabin (there was plenty of room) which helped a lot. We were then able to use the regular chairs as foot-rests and the reclining chairs became more like true loungers.

 

The condition of the cabin was not great. The full-sized sofa was showing wear, and did not have any throw pillows. There were tiles missing on the bathroom floor, and some of the grout needed work. The furnishings had a more utilitarian air about them then cabins on X or HAL. Overall the cabin looked more like a budget to mid-range accommodation, while cabins on the other two lines appear more deluxe.

 

All twelve minis on the Emerald deck are at the aft end of the ship. The thrusters create a major vibration at that end when entering or leaving port, definitely enough to awaken you and much worse than Celebrity’s M-class or HAL’s Vista-class (we’ve had aft cabins on both). If you’re a late sleeper you may wish to consider a different location. We did appreciate that covered balcony, though.

 

There is a self-service laundry on most or all cabin decks with four washer-dryer pairs and four irons and ironing boards. It costs $1.00 to wash one load and $1-$2 to dry it, depending on whether one cycle is enough to dry everything. One load's worth of detergent is also $1.00 as are two Snuggle dryer sheets.

 

Main Dining Room Food (Dinner): No need to mince words here. Celebrity’s main dining room food is better. More interesting and more consistent. Princess’ food ranges from very good to just adequate. On the whole it was perfectly fine but was not memorable or exciting. We did like the deserts better than those on X. The Princess wine list is smaller and more basic than Celebrity’s but the selections are both intelligent and fairly priced. Again, nothing too exciting, just well thought out picks that paired well with the rather basic cuisine. Note that this is a big improvement from HAL, IMO. HAL’s wine picks were not as approachable and were more expensive to boot. X has a much deeper list at prices that are closer to HAL’s than to Princess’.

 

Specialty dining: We did not partake and so are unable to comment. Sorry. Celebrity’s specialty dining would be very hard to beat, though.

 

Other food: Princess holds its own here. One of CB’s three main dining rooms is open for lunch, even on port days (in fact, even on embarkation day!!). That alone opens up options that neither Celebrity nor HAL can match, as their dining rooms are closed at lunch when the ship is in port. There are some nice choices on Princess’ lunch menu as well. Better burgers than are served at the grill on the Lido deck, tasty curries, decent pastas, etc. There are also rotating breakfast specials which add variety to the first meal of the day. We took most of our meals in one of the dining rooms, as there are no trays in the buffet. Since Marlee is mobility-limited a trayless buffet is an issue – I need to make separate trips to get her food, then mine. Both X and HAL have trays in their buffets; this allows me to get food for us both in one trip through the line.

 

The much touted pizza on Princess is indeed better than the pizza on either Celebrity or Holland America but does not compare that well to land-based pizzas we can get close to home. So while it may be the best pizza at sea, the accolade may not be as great as it appears.

 

Anytime dining: We were extremely pleased with our Anytime experience. We made reservations on three of our five nights and walked in the other two. In all cases we obtained a table for two (our strong preference) with no questions and no waiting. Service was good to very good each night and we had a very pleasant experience. Based on this experience we will take advantage of flexible dining whenever it is offered.

 

Entertainment: No need to mince words here either. For both talent and diversity Princess is tops when compared to X and HAL. Main shows in the theater, secondary shows in the Explorers’ Lounge, live music in the Atrium and the Wheelhouse, the party band, karaoke and recorded music in Club Fusion, high energy (recorded) dance music at Skywalker’s, and, of course, the party band at the pool on sea days. This joint was jumpin’ with something for everyone. And I didn’t even mention MUTS (Movies Under The Stars) which is the only public place I know of where you can watch a movie on a big screen while taking a swim.

 

On sea days, lounge music started at 1 PM in the Atrium and entertainment was continuous from then until the small hours. On port days things got rolling around 3-4 PM. Celebrity has gaps in their entertainment schedule, even on sea days, and in any case doesn’t offer the broad range of options available on the larger Princess ships. HAL doesn’t even try. If you like above average musicians/performers and lots of entertainment choices then Princess is definitely a line you should consider.

 

Service: As with the food, service on Princess is inconsistent. Some of it is among the best we’ve experienced at sea while some was brusque bordering on rude. We were very pleased with service in the dining rooms. If you elect Anytime dining you will likely be served by a number of Waiters and Junior Waiters. There will thus not be much opportunity for your Waiters to learn your personal preferences. However, our waiter was motivated enough to learn and remember our preferences on only one of our five Celebrity cruises. So while the concept of a regular waiter is very appealing, it doesn’t always mean that much in reality. Celebrity does offer a more formal style of dining room service that neither Princess nor HAL matches.

 

Our cabin service was less good. Special requests like a refill of the ice bucket were not appreciated. Friendliness was also lacking. In part this was no doubt due to the individual steward, but I think it also had something to do with the workload. I don’t know exactly how many cabins for which our steward was responsible, but it appeared to be more cabins than Celebrity stewards need to cover. We saw no assistants. Celebrity appears to assign fewer cabins to each steward and the stewards work in teams. The level of service is higher and the stewards are more personable as well (though this particular steward on CB may have been below average – we won’t know until our next Princess cruise).

 

 

Style: Princess strikes a much more casual note than Celebrity’s M-class and is somewhat more casual than Holland America’s Vista-class ships as well. There are no informal nights – dress is ether “smart casual” or formal. On formal nights the dress code was enforced. In fact, this cruise is the only one on which we’ve actually seen people turned away for being improperly dressed. However, the number of tuxes and gowns was much lower than on Celebrity. Men primarily wore suits or blazers, mostly with ties. In general, the women were a bit better dressed than the men. On Celebrity there are many more tuxedos and dinner jackets which means that sometimes the men are a tad better dressed than the women. Clothing on casual nights ran the gamut, but the staff did enforce the ban on shorts, tank tops, etc. Polo shirts were common for both genders, as were chinos for the men and slacks or Capri pants for the women. Some diners dressed better, but it was not a necessity.

 

It is clear to us that we can cruise Princess with two-thirds (or even less) the clothing that we need to bring on a Celebrity cruise. In this age of airline surcharges for checked and overweight luggage, that is a significant advantage. Even without considering the additional fees, it will be much easier to select clothing, pack, and unpack when cruising Princess. We know that others really enjoy the more formal aspects of a cruise, but this style works well for us and, when combined with Anytime dining and the increased entertainment choices, makes Princess a very attractive alternative despite the areas in which they are somewhat weaker than Celebrity.

 

In summary both Princess and Celebrity offer quality cruise products, but the emphasis of each is quite different. If you like a more traditional cruise with more elegance, better food, and more structure and formality, then Celebrity is your line of choice. If you like more and better entertainment options, open seating at dinner, more dining choices, and a more casual atmosphere, then you will enjoy Princess more. We like them both. The two experiences are different enough that we may end up alternating between them for variety’s sake as we plan our future vacations.

[janetz]

Very good review. :D I can't understand how people can say there is not enough entertainment at night onboard. We had a hard time doing everything we wanted there were so many things going on at the same time.

We also had a person from our group leave the ship in St.Martin. Princess handled all the air, etc without a hitch. They were great. :)

[Clutterlady]

Thank you for your honest and well balanced review!

 

Hope that your wife is doing well, and that you will be able to enjoy another Princess cruise:)

[PescadoAmarillo]

How strongly can I say, "I agree, I agree, I agree"? (Except for the Celebrity Suite v mini suite comparison. I can't offer an opinion there.)

 

But after 12 Celebrity cruises and 11 Princess cruises (with more days on Princess than Celebrity), I think you just about nailed it for us too. I do enjoy some of Celebrity's entertainment a bit more, especially on their M Class ships. I love the adagio couples and a capella groups and the string quartet every evening, and the guitarist on the back deck of the ship during sailaways.

 

But I've said for years I can travel with a lot less luggage (weight-wise) on Princess v. Celebrity. And that means something these days.

 

Thanks for the detailed and thoughtful comparison.

[dforeigner]

Awesome, thanks for the review. I hope things are better now.

[LARGIN]

Thanks for the review...

[deadzone1003]

Excellent review! It is nice to read a review where one is given reasons with facts to back them up for why one likes or dislikes a certain product. Too many reviews read like they were written by the PR department of the cruiseline or worst, by a fan of the cruiseline. One of the best I've read on this forum for a comparative analysis. I hope to hear more from you in the future.:)

[mii]

Now that is the way we like a comparison to read. I also have been on 3 celebrity cruises but much more on Princess and i safely say that I agree with most of your comparisons. In my opinion to me the food is about the same but hey to each his own. Again thanks for a well-balanced review.

 

Frankly I was all set to read from sentence number 1 that princess was the pits, will never sail on that cruiseline again, etc, etc, etc,; I think you know what I mean.

 

Marilyn

[Sandytoes]

Marlee and Rich

 

Thanks for the well written review.

Glad you enjoyed your cruise aboard the CB.

Sorry to hear about your cruise being cut short, at least it didn't take away your wonderful memories.

 

~~~

They are doing construction near Red Hook, but traffic in NY is always a killer. :rolleyes:

Glad you enjoyed the shows.

I noticed the lack of Art work on walls too. When we were on the AOS we noticed dozens of paintings all over.

Nice to hear you had a wonderful Anytime Dining experience. I highly recommend it.

Just by your review you have me thinking of taking Celebrity.

[Lynda90]

Thanks for an honest, fair comparison. Really enjoyed your review. I haven't as yet tried Celebrity, and nothing jumps out at me that says it's a must do.:p The next time you cruise with Princess, just ask your cabin steward to switch the waffle robe for the more plush, terry. Most cabin stewards are extremely accommodating and I'm sorry that yours was not.

[B40 Tha Cruisa]

Thanks for an awesome review!

[kendon]

We've been on many Princess ships and have found that the CB is the most casual of them all in terms of demographics and dress, perhaps because of the relaxed itinerary. Try one of the "gem" class ships next time. I think you'll enjoy those ships. Nice review, thanks you.

[soraya]

Thanks so much for doing this. We've been on 2 Princess cruises and 1 HAL, we tend to cruise at particular times of year and this means we go with whoever is doing the cruise we want at that time. We're off to South America with Celebrity and your review gives us a good feel for the difference.

 

Hope health matters have improved and you can continue to cruise!

[Love Boat Dream]

Thank you for your detailed review! It was very well balanced.

 

I hope Marlee is doing better.

[rdsqrl]

I'm so sorry y'all had to cut your cruise short, but glad you enjoyed your trancated time on board. I really enjoyed your review -- it was thoughtful, analytical and contained some very keen insights. I really got a good sense of what it must be like to sail Celebrity (never tried it) as someone who loves Princess. I'm glad to hear your reasons for leaving the ship weren't life-threatening and hope you're back on another cruise soon.

[jkudzu]

Marlee and Rich,

Enjoyed reading your review. We were on the same cruise. So sorry you had to leave early. Wishing you much longer, and enjoyable cruises in the future!

[Pam in CA]

Thank you for an impartial and excellent review. It's well thought-out and you make the differences clear. Thank you.

[CycleGirl1]

Thank you for the thoughtful and detailed review.

[Guest arowe6]

Wonderful comparison review. Thank you.

 

-Andrew:)

[ggprincess2004]

Thank you for a well-written and balanced review. We haven't sailed with X, but now would do so given the right itinerary.

I am sorry that you had to cut the voyage short, and I hope things are better now.

Also, sorry to learn that the cabin steward was a disappointment. We have had 2 less than satisfactory experiences with cabins stewards on Princess, but this seems to be the exception rather than the rule. In 17 Princess cruises, we were tempted to kidnap at least a dozen of our stewards. Hope you have a great one next time.

Also, we have found the quality of food varies depending upon the lead kitchen staff on board, so it can be wonderful on a ship, and be passable the next time one is onboard the same vessel. Usually we find the food to very good, and sometimes excellent. It is nice to know that X does a very respectable job on the cuisine side of things.

[Coral]

Marlee and Rich - thanks for your review. When reading the first part - my first response was "oh no, they tried the ship with the worst space ratio" but then was pleasantly surprised with the rest of your review.

 

I think service is the luck of the moment. I have had very good and very poor service on most lines I have sailed. I do agree with you about the speciality restaurants - Princess can't touch Celebrity's. I actually think RCCL does a better job then Princess in this matter.

 

You may want to try the Coral or Island Princess - they are the same size as the M class.

[happy cruzer]

Your comparsions on the wine experience is dead on with what we have noticed. I would add that HAL and Princess allow you to carryon wine in any quantity (regardless of the "official" policy) and pay the corkage fee in the dining rooms. So if the selection is basic or not a good value we bring a few special wines and guarantee our wine enjoyment. Celebrity and RCI are not as wine friendly when it comes to carry on. Celebrity reports are better but the corkage fee is $20 and reports state they do enforce the "official" limits. RCI has an unfriendly policy, no carryon for wine and very ordinary wine list.

 

Thank you for the detailed review. Hope all is well now and on your next cruise.

[RLM77]

Thank you all for your kind words. As we become more experienced cruisers we are learning, not only about the various cruise lines and their products but also about our own cruise preferences. We have especially learned three things:

1. Very few people are fortunate enough to experience a cruise that is perfect in all respects.

2. There are real differences between cruise lines and cruise products.

3. People will enjoy their cruise more when their preferences match up best with the cruise line's product and priorities. For example, a TA would not be doing first-timers any favors if s/he booked all-night party-goers on Holland America or Celebrity.

When we try a line for the first time, or if a product has changed significantly, I try to provide a complete enough picture of our experience to help others decide which product best aligns with their personal preferences. I am gratified if I have helped anyone make a decision.

On another subject, Marlee suffered a retinal detachment. When we flew home from St. Thomas Wednesday night she was under doctor's orders to fast in preparation for surgery Thursday. After evaluating her condition early Thursday morning (we got home well after midnight so we didn't get much sleep) the doctor decided that she was stable enough to defer surgery until he could assemble the team he is most comfortable working with (the "A Team"). So we are scheduled for first thing tomorrow (Monday) morning, reporting to the hospital at 6 AM. Thank you for your good wishes; I'm sure everything will work out as it should.

[PescadoAmarillo]

 

On another subject, Marlee suffered a retinal detachment.

My dad had that in 1989, and I am at high risk for it. My thoughts are with you and please let us know that the surgery went well.

[cruisemom42]

 

Style: Princess strikes a much more casual note than Celebrity’s M-class and is somewhat more casual than Holland America’s Vista-class ships as well. There are no informal nights – dress is ether “smart casual” or formal. On formal nights the dress code was enforced. In fact, this cruise is the only one on which we’ve actually seen people turned away for being improperly dressed.

 

 

 

Thank you for reporting this, and a big THANK YOU for Princess for enforcing it!!! I have seen this done more frequently of late on Princess (and various reports from other cruisers) and I have high hopes that Princess will continue. I think it takes a lot of the confusion out of the mix for some people if they know they will be turned away if improperly dressed.