Cruise Talk: Princess vs Celebrity?

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Topic: Princess vs Celebrity?

Mercy
First Class Passenger
Member # 322

posted 11-08-1999 10:44 AM

We are deciding on our next cruise. We have been very happy with Celebrity. I am considering the Grand Princess. Several people on our Celebrity cruises said that the food is better on Celebrity. Has anyone cruised both lines with an opinion on the two. Which did you like better. Celebrity or Princess? I think what always stops me from booking Princess, is that they have done away with Grand buffets. Which I think is really CHEAP. Celebrity puts on the best Gala buffet!

Posts: 697 | From: Stanwood, Wa. USA | Registered: Sep 99 | IP: Logged

nabdanger
Just Boarded
Member # 896

posted 11-10-1999 08:31 AM

we have cruised princess probably 10 times and must say they do an excellent job.we have only cruised celebrity once and it was wonderful also.the food was probably the best or nearly of our 25 cruises.i must say that princess has a wonderful past passenger club and is excellent with passenger relations and their offering of worldwide cruises is wider than celebrity.i would definitely go on princess--the sun princess and the crown princess are our favorite ships.

Posts: 6 | From: southlyon,mi.usa | Registered: Nov 1999 | IP: Logged

BigMac
Just Boarded
Member # 836

posted 11-10-1999 01:32 PM

I have cruised on Princess 5 times and can highly recommend them. Our close friends just got back from a cruise with Celebrity in Europe, and I can truly say that I would never go with Celebrity after what they did to our friends. These were older people, mostly women and they went on a tour booked through the ship. The tour bus left half of them at one of the stops, when they were in site of the bus driver. The other people in the party pleaded with the driver to wait but he wouldn't. Then when they got back to the ship and told them what happened they said "to bad" and wouldn't wait for them either. The ship left without these three older women, who were by themselves in a foreign country, their passports on the ship and very little money. It cost them hundreds of dollars to fly to the next port along with the cost of new passports and hotel accomodations, not to mention they missed two days on the ship. When they got back to the ship and complained, they could have cared less. And this was a tour arranged through Celebrity!! To make things worse they did it again to some other people in the next port. Princess would never do that. I have witnessed them waiting up to six hours for persons that were late if the tour was booked through the ship. If that is they way they treat their passengers, I think they should be boycotted along with Royal Caribbean for all the illegal things they have been doing. Go with Princess food isn't everything!

Posts: 5 | From: Redding, Ca. USA | Registered: Oct 1999 | IP: Logged

cruiseman
First Class Passenger
Member # 885

posted 11-10-1999 03:30 PM

Have never been on Celebrity but I did sail on the Grand Princess last December. I have to say out of my 10 cruises the SERVICE in the dining room on the Grand was THE BEST EVER! Our waiter who had transferred from the SUN Princess the day we boarded, our busboy and one of the Assistant Head Waiters made our dining room experience something that we'll remember for years to come. They were funny, prompt and always paid so much attention to us, but they were that way with everyone in their station. One day during lunch we were getting ready to eat casually on deck by the pool and our busboy was actually out in search for us because he remembered someone in our group asking for something they were having on the menu in the dining room for lunch that day. Needless to say he found us in time and we marched into the dining room and ate there along with practically every meal after that. Now that's attention! My only gripe with the food on Princess was their pizza left something to be desired. RCCL and CCL have excellent pizzas...Princess take lessons.

Posts: 59 | From: Leavenworth, KS, USA | Registered: Oct 1999 | IP: Logged

CruiseBuff
First Class Passenger
Member # 94

posted 11-10-1999 04:29 PM

Sorry, BigMac, about the unfortunate problems experienced by your elderly friends. I would be interested in hearing all the facts of the incident. Unfortunatly, through this forum, all facts are difficult to gather. I've been on Celebrity twice (once to West. Carib. and once to Alaska) and had an outstanding cruise both times. Service on all levels, food, entertainment, and excursions were excellent -- and I'm quite critical of what I get for my money. Incidents such as the one concerning your friends are the exception and not the rule.

Posts: 27 | From: Denver, CO USA | Registered: Jul 99 | IP: Logged

Willy Paul
First Class Passenger
Member # 473

posted 11-10-1999 07:35 PM

We have been on three Princess and seven Celebrity cruises. We found the food and service a little better on Celebrity and the entertainment on Princess better. Our most recent cruise on Celebrity was in June In europe and everything went great. The pre cruise package was wondeful and the service on the ship (Century ) was super. We were late returning to the ship from florence and from Rome. the ship was held in both cases and the driver and tour guide were in contact with the ship all the time we were going to the ship. We did sail quickly after we boarded the ship. People were left behinfd in Vigo, spain but they didn't arrive at the dock until about ten minutes after we began departure and they were on private tour. They were put on a pilot boat and brought out to the ship. I don't think you can wrong with either ship. We are sailing on the Regal Princess to the south Pacific in April.

Posts: 151 | From: Auburn, Ma. | Registered: Jul 99 | IP: Logged

Cruiselvr
First Class Passenger
Member # 96

posted 11-11-1999 10:52 AM

You simply aren't going to go wrong with either Princess or Celebrity. They are very comparable cruiselines in all ways. After cruising both, I do prefer Celebrity, but only because I feel they have the edge on Princess for service and food quality, which are important to me. I do believe that Princess has better entertainment though. The only time I would say to definitely cruise Princess over Celebrity would be to Alaska. Princess has incredible cruisetour offers that combine the best of land and sea. Since Princess has been in Alaska the longest, they have the best accomodations and services, and actually have their own coaches, lodges, and train cars. The other lines are starting to catch up, but for now Princess is the way to go in Alaska.

Posts: 34 | Registered: Apr 99 | IP: Logged

Bobby G
First Class Passenger
Member # 49

posted 11-11-1999 10:02 PM

[ 10-24-2002: Message edited by: Bobby G ]

Posts: 36 | From: SC | Registered: Feb 99 | IP: Logged

sympatico
First Class Passenger
Member # 797

posted 11-11-1999 10:27 PM

Bobby G - Smart choice to go with HAL!

Posts: 3305 | From: Toronto, Ont. Canada | Registered: Jul 99 | IP: Logged

Mercy
First Class Passenger
Member # 322

posted 11-13-1999 12:26 PM

Thank you everyone!

Posts: 697 | From: Stanwood, Wa. USA | Registered: Sep 99 | IP: Logged

mrblanche
First Class Passenger
Member # 714

posted 11-14-1999 10:34 PM

We just got off the Celebrity Mercury (western Caribbean). It was our first Celebrity cruise, but we have done three previous Princess cruises and are booked on another in February.

Here's a brief synopsis of our experience.

The ship is beautiful, clean, well-maintained, etc. Nothing to complain about there.

The food was a big disappointment. I must say that there was nothing wrong with it (except one veal dish that was absolutely tasteless), but the presentation made Carnival look good, and the variety was really disappointing. Also, we really loved the pasta course with every meal on Princess.

The entertainment on Celebrity was amateur class, mostly. This is an old complaint there, though.

Embarkation was much slower than necessary, but disembarkation went smoothly.

There was clearly friction in the crew. We saw crew reprimanded several times in front of passengers, sometimes for the tiniest of infractions (using chipped ice instead of ice cubes around the milk on the buffet, for example). This is a sure sign of poor management.

The buffets moved well, however. But there really was only one midnight buffet.

Would we go again on Celebrity? Sure, but we won't believe that stuff about superior food or service again.

Posts: 308 | From: Cedar Hill, TX | Registered: Aug 99 | IP: Logged

dsugar
Just Boarded
Member # 914

posted 11-19-1999 08:47 PM

Hi - We were on the Grand princess and Celelbrity Century last year. The food on Century was great, overall a little better than the Grand Princess. Dinners and desserts and the midnite buffets were significantly better on Century. Lunch buffet and deck food a little better on Grand princess. Inside cabins were much bigger on the century. If you take the grand princess the inside rooms are much smaller and I highly recommend an outside cabin with veranda which we switched to when there was a problem with our room. public areas are about the same. One annoying thing on the Grand princess was ice cream which i love. They had a haggendaz stand but it was extra charge and it was expensive. the century had great ice cream every day at lunch plus dinner of course. Also the steaks on the century were much better if you ordered one. Service on both, for either meals or the cabin stewards were outstanding. Overall Century slightly better.

Posts: 1 | From: arlington hts, il | Registered: Nov 1999 | IP: Logged

Green
First Class Passenger
Member # 171

posted 11-24-1999 08:30 PM

BigMac - it would be interesting to hear the end of the story.
How did the cruise line handle the complaint?

Posts: 2913 | From: Markham, Ontario, Canada | Registered: Jul 99 | IP: Logged

sabine
First Class Passenger
Member # 759

posted 11-27-1999 05:51 AM

I came back from a Panama Canal cruise on the Sun Princess recently. We had a hurricane looming in the Caribbean, and they had to change the itinerary - everything was done very quickly and efficiently. It was my 5th cruise with P & O, and I was very happy with everything. Got some excellent medical attention, the purser's desk was staffed with some excellent people, the entertainment was great,and I was glad they have stopped the midnight buffet stuff - it was good to look at but stupid to think of eating when you practically eat all day anyway. But I do agree that their Pizzas are a bit ordinary !
I wouldn't hesitate booking Princess again - and they did wait when people got delayed returning from a tour in Venezuela - due to traffic.

Posts: 32 | From: Bella Vista NSW Australia | Registered: Jun 99 | IP: Logged

JoeO
First Class Passenger
Member # 224

posted 11-29-1999 09:42 PM

We've sailed the Crown Princess twice,the Sun and the Grand each once. Also been on the Celebrity Century once (and again next month) and just got off the hurricane-chased (Lenny) Horizon.Both cruise lines are on the top of my list with a slight edge to Celebrity. Nothing stays the same accross all ships of any line.
Food on my first Crown cruise was super. Next trip it had something lacking. Celebrity's food was extra-super on both cruises. Entertainment on all Princess cruises and the Celeb Century was usual production fare....enjoyable not extra special. Surprisingly, the Horizon shows were superior; especially their extravagant Broadway sampler. The most extraordinary costumes, staging, immagination and dancing....all in bad rocking seas. Can't comment on midnight buffets 'cause we dine 2nd seating and can't look at food 'till the next AM.

Posts: 93 | From: St Aaugustine, Fl., U.S.A. | Registered: Dec 98 | IP: Logged

JoeO
First Class Passenger
Member # 224

posted 11-29-1999 09:54 PM

P. S. We too are sailing on the Regal Princess in April, Ensenada to Hawaii. You can see us on the dance floor at tngostrs@aug.com. Hah!
P. P. S. Maybe small ships like the Horizon, 46,800 tons and NCL's (which line I don't care for)Norwegian Crown 34,250 tons get special attention food and entertainment-wise from their
owners? The latter had good food/service, the Norway just the opposite.

Posts: 93 | From: St Aaugustine, Fl., U.S.A. | Registered: Dec 98 | IP: Logged

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