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#1
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Changing to Celebrity
After 10 Princess cruises & their decline of service and all the
nickel & diming of the past year, we have decided to change. Lori agrees with my husband's choice of Celebrity stating they have a superior product compared to Princess. I have read thru their web site & notice from air to gifts in staterooms, right there a plus after all the air problems we've have with what Princess books & then takes no concern when they work out badly from strikes to standy tix purchase. We also heard from folks employed by Princess that were on their last cruise with them. That rings bad.... One thing that caught my eye is Princess only does the entire Panama Canal in April, going to Alaska from Carib & September going to Carib from Alaska. Celebrity does it every 2 weeks CA-FL. Millenium, Infinity & Constellation seem to be our choices from photos we've seen. We have to have a balcony! So I would love to hear from Celebrity-aholics about these ships, the verandah staterooms, etc. One question: Do only suites get robes? But then again, this is almost 2004 & all cruiselines may be into the nickel & diming, so if they are not much different from Princess, then we will stay & I appreciate you telling me so. As Princess Platinum, we only see free Net a ccess when it is open, a disembarkation lounge with continental breakfast, never an email of deals, and no gifts, unless Lori sends me a towel or bag. |
#2
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Changing to Celebrity
Brenda wrote:
After 10 Princess cruises & their decline of service and all the nickel & diming of the past year, we have decided to change. Lori agrees with my husband's choice of Celebrity stating they have a superior product compared to Princess. I have read thru their web site & notice from air to gifts in staterooms, right there a plus after all the air problems we've have with what Princess books & then takes no concern when they work out badly from strikes to standy tix purchase. We also heard from folks employed by Princess that were on their last cruise with them. That rings bad.... Why not book your own air, Brenda? One thing that caught my eye is Princess only does the entire Panama Canal in April, going to Alaska from Carib & September going to Carib from Alaska. Celebrity does it every 2 weeks CA-FL. Millenium, Infinity & Constellation seem to be our choices from photos we've seen. We have to have a balcony! So I would love to hear from Celebrity-aholics about these ships, the verandah staterooms, etc. One question: Do only suites get robes? I'm not hooked on any one cruise line but I have cruised Celebrity six or seven times. The veranda staterooms are small, like the princess veranda staterooms, but very comfortable and well decorated. But then again, this is almost 2004 & all cruiselines may be into the nickel & diming, so if they are not much different from Princess, then we will stay & I appreciate you telling me so. As Princess Platinum, we only see free Net a ccess when it is open, a disembarkation lounge with continental breakfast, never an email of deals, and no gifts, unless Lori sends me a towel or bag. I really think that nickel & diming on mass market cruise lines is here to stay. You'll have to get used to this, unless you are willing to pay $300/day or more for the "premium" lines. Howard |
#3
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Changing to Celebrity
Subject: Changing to Celebrity
From: Everyone gets robes.. but the suites and CC get terry. The other categories get cotton waffleweave. Everyone nickel and dimes. Celebrity is no different. As Princess Platinum, we only see free Net a ccess when it is open, a disembarkation lounge with continental breakfast, never an email of deals, and no gifts, unless Lori sends me a towel or bag. Don't know why you don't get the emails. Did you opt-in on princess.com? Gifts? 4 pieces of chocolate... that's all you get. The towels and beach bags on Princess come through from Princess via group deals. The "beachbags" on Celebrity.. unless you are in CC or above.. are this strange material.. kinda like a heavyweight "handi-wipe". In otherwords.. disposable. I am a Captain's Club Elite member..... I leave in 3 weeks for my 29th sailing with Celebrity. I pay 50 cents a minutes for internet access... just like everyone else onboard. I get mailings weekly from Princess.. and well as emails. Go sign up on princess.com. Celebrity's problem-solving skills.. and customer service department, I would rate below Princess. And those upgrades many people enjoy from Princess... forget about that on Celebrity.. unless you book a minimum guarantee. Entertainment is definitely better on Princess is that is what you like. On the M-class ships.. there is not enough outdoor deck space for the number of pax the ship carries. I don't care for the ship design...I much prefer the Century class vessels.. and Horizon and Zenith. Babette |
#4
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Changing to Celebrity
Brenda wrote:
After 10 Princess cruises & their decline of service and all the nickel & diming of the past year, we have decided to change. Lori Well having been on both Celebrity and Princess, I have to say I much prefer Princess. I found the staff on Celebrity very aloof and not very friendly; while on Princess everyone had a ready smile and was always asking how things were going. That is why we booked them on our cruise next June to Alaska. Finally I like the food on Princess better than on Celebrity; it was more down to earth and not so gourmet. I want my vegetables to look like vegetables, not artistic creations. |
#5
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Changing to Celebrity
In article , Brenda
wrote: But then again, this is almost 2004 & all cruiselines may be into the nickel & diming, so if they are not much different from Princess, then we will stay & I appreciate you telling me so. As Princess Platinum, we only see free Net a ccess when it is open, a disembarkation lounge with continental breakfast, never an email of deals, and no gifts, unless Lori sends me a towel or bag. All mass market lines nickle and dime. I am a Princess Platnium member and a Celebrity Select member. Just completed a cruise on Island Princess after three straight Celebrity cruises. Actually the free net access is worth more than all the gifts you get from Celebrity which are chocolates, free wine tasting,(which becomes almost free on Princess if you buy a bottle), backstage tour, which Princess does free for everyone, golf lesson, I don't golf), advance booking of alternative restaurant, (never had a problem booking without this perk on Celebrity). The Celebrity beach bag is cheap and the dye comes off. I did not get a bag from Princess or Lori on Island Princess. I use my own bag anyway. As far as the Princess e-mail deals. There is something broken there. I have requested them but all I get are snail mail mailings every week. Maybe it is an either or. The Celebrity e-mail deals don't seem to be as good as the Princess deals. The main differences to me are that Celebrity gives a more fancy presentation than Princess. Celebrity has more dress up evenings. Celebrity has the better alternative restaurants. Princess staff has a higher energy level and better interaction with the passengers. Entertainement is better on Princess. Each line has strenghs and weaknesses. You are not going to get a perfect mass market cruise. I don't think the lines are much different in general. There are differences, each does some things better than the other but I would call it a wash. I do think you should book the the Celebrity cruise even though they are not much different. I think booking on only one cruise line like you have been doing would be boring and I think you are getting bored. It should not be a question of changing. My next cruise could be on either Princess or Celebrity--or RCI, Carnival, HAL, etc. Even with the cruise line loyalty programs I don't see anything they offer to compel anyone to be loyal to one cruise line. -- Charles |
#6
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Changing to Celebrity
In article , OcnGypZ
wrote: Celebrity's problem-solving skills.. and customer service department, I would rate below Princess. I agree with you there. And those upgrades many people enjoy from Princess... forget about that on Celebrity.. unless you book a minimum guarantee. Most of the Princess upgrades are cosmetic. But sometimes you can score a good one. Forget it on Celebrity. Entertainment is definitely better on Princess is that is what you like. Enternainment was much better on Island Princess last week than my last three Celebrity cruise. On the M-class ships.. there is not enough outdoor deck space for the number of pax the ship carries. I don't care for the ship design...I much prefer the Century class vessels.. and Horizon and Zenith. Island Princess has the best outdoor deck space I can remember on any ship. Celebrity has more interesting ships. Been on one Princess ship been on most of them. Island Princess has the smallest showers I have ever seen. Celebrity has better staterooms. Honestly I don't get this thing that some people have of using only one cruise line. I do understand having a favorite cruise line. How do you find a favorite if you don't try some of the others? Also time does not stand still for me or the cruise lines. They make changes and what I desire on a cruise changes even in the same year. Sometimes I want something laid back, other times I desire something with more energy. For my last cruise I definitly needed a break from the 6 dress up nights they had on the 11 night Celebrity cruise I took in April and did not even consider a Celebrity booking. Princess had 2 out of 10 which I thought was perfect. -- Charles |
#7
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Changing to Celebrity
We've done 8 Celebrity sailings and 3 Princess sailings.
After about 5 Celebrity sailings, we decided to try Princess. We went on the Ocean Princess and as a new ship (about 3 weeks old) she gave every bit as good a cruise as Celebrity. A year later we tried Dawn Princess and there was a noticeable decline in food, service and cleanliness of the ship. A year later Grand Princess, and further decline. Plus I found the Grand Princess VERY smoky. Poor removal of ciggy smoke by the ventilation system. Minimal segregation of smoking and non smoking. Maybe Ocean Princess was the outlier since it was only 3 weeks old at the time, with the most experienced crew (on the newest ship). After Grand Princess, we're back to mostly Celebrity again. I think the Millie class are by far the best class of large ships out there. Others disagree for various reasons, like not enough dance floors, etc. One thing I like on the bigger Celebrity ships is that a lot of the buffet food is served to you by staff (wearing gloves), as opposed to passengers handling the utensils. Less spreading of germs. Has there been decline in Celebrity since Royal Caribbean bought them? Yes. But I think there has been more decline in Princess since our Ocean Princess sailing. I still like Princess, but while they used to be 1A and 1B with Celebrity in terms of which lines I like best, they've fallen at least down to #2 after our Grand Princess and Dawn Princess sailings. To me, Millie class has a better passenger space ratio, more deck space, better buffets, nicer dining rooms (the single floor dining rooms on Princess ships feel cramped). I love the Conservatory on Infinity and Connie. I would rate them even higher on the "elegant" scale than Princess ships. Cabins on Millie and Century class are much larger than those on Sun Class, though Grand and her sisters have cabins like Millie class. If you guys decide to go on Constellation, e-mail me. I've got a lot of photos. --Tom ---- doing Celebrity Galaxy Mediterranean next summer Brenda wrote: After 10 Princess cruises & their decline of service and all the nickel & diming of the past year, we have decided to change. Lori agrees with my husband's choice of Celebrity stating they have a superior product compared to Princess. I have read thru their web site & notice from air to gifts in staterooms, right there a plus after all the air problems we've have with what Princess books & then takes no concern when they work out badly from strikes to standy tix purchase. We also heard from folks employed by Princess that were on their last cruise with them. That rings bad.... One thing that caught my eye is Princess only does the entire Panama Canal in April, going to Alaska from Carib & September going to Carib from Alaska. Celebrity does it every 2 weeks CA-FL. Millenium, Infinity & Constellation seem to be our choices from photos we've seen. We have to have a balcony! So I would love to hear from Celebrity-aholics about these ships, the verandah staterooms, etc. One question: Do only suites get robes? But then again, this is almost 2004 & all cruiselines may be into the nickel & diming, so if they are not much different from Princess, then we will stay & I appreciate you telling me so. As Princess Platinum, we only see free Net a ccess when it is open, a disembarkation lounge with continental breakfast, never an email of deals, and no gifts, unless Lori sends me a towel or bag. |
#8
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Changing to Celebrity
In article ,
WolfpackFan wrote: Well having been on both Celebrity and Princess, I have to say I much prefer Princess. I found the staff on Celebrity very aloof and not very friendly; while on Princess everyone had a ready smile and was always asking how things were going. That is why we booked them on our cruise next June to Alaska. That is generally true but I did find that the staff on Galaxy last April was almost a nice as Princess staff. Finally I like the food on Princess better than on Celebrity; it was more down to earth and not so gourmet. I want my vegetables to look like vegetables, not artistic creations. The fancy Celebrity presentation is part of their "show" so to speak. On Princess last week they had real vegetables that were edible which I prefer over the Celebrity art. I think the food quality in the dining room is fairly equivilant when you strip away how both cruise lines present it. If you are a meat eater, the meat dishes on Island Princess, except for the always available steak, were definitly better cuts than I got on my three previous cruises which happened to be all on Celebrity. They did manage to ruin the lobster on Island Princess. -- Charles |
#9
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Changing to Celebrity
On our September cruise on the Infinity the staff throughout the ship were
among the most friendly we have ever experienced in our 24 cruises. Bryan |
#10
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Changing to Celebrity
Brenda,
I hope you enjoy Celebrity but don't go expecting miracles. I rank them slightly above Princess mainly because their ships are far more beautiful and their food is served with a bit more flair. Princess is far better organized and also has better entertainment. Unfortunately they also have some of the most uninspired and boring ships in terms of decor. As someone else mentioned, seen one, seen them all. I pretty much agree with everything Babette stated in a previous post on this thread. Celebrity also nickels and dimes but not as much a Princess. Celebrity also has a no-announcement policy similar to Princess which is a plus. One thing to consider is how flexible, or un-flexible you are. Princess is all about choice... when and with whom you want to dine, what show to see each evening, 24 hour dining, 24 hour freshwater pools, etc. Celebrity is all about tradition. Strict first and second seating times. Strict buffet times. One show after dinner. Pools that close at dusk. They run a tight ship and are certainly less flexible then Princess. This is one thing to keep in mind. Someone mentioned Princess upgrades and Platinum. Princess does upgrade, but it's pretty much a farce. When you have 30+ cabin categories and basically only two types of cabins onboard, well, you do the math. What they call an upgrade (BF to BA for instance) is really no upgrade at all. Some categories only have two cabins in them, so you are guaranteed an upgrade although the cabin will be no different. Celebrity certainly does not upgrade as much but when they do it's more substantial. Also, Celebrity is smart in that they will sell open cabins during embarkation at flat rates. Unlike Princess, which does not upgrade at the pier and places "ship sold out, no cabin changes" signs at the Purser's Desk even when the ship is empty, Celebrity actually welcomes *paid* upgrades at the pier if available. It's a smart way for the cruise line to generate extra revenue and make the passenger feel like they are getting a deal. It's a win win for everyone, and a smart business decision by RCI/Celebrity. Princess head office likes to have far too much control, and they don't seem willing to permit upgrades (even paid) by the ship's staff to perspective passengers. Their loss. Regarding past passenger membership clubs. I find the Princess system is more valuable. I'm a Platinum member with Princess and not only is my onboard cruise card colored platinum (for instant recognition), but I even my name tag outside my cabin (a Princess exclusive) is colored Platinum. Of course the main incentive for being a Platinum member is the unlimited free internet access. Princess is the ONLY line I know of that does this. I just returned from the CORAL PRINCESS last week, and I charged up over $400+ of internet charges.... all removed from my bill. It's an excellent perk. So at the end of the day all this sounds like Princess would be better. Well, what seems is not always what is. Even with all the Princess perks I still prefer Celebrity. Celebrity is great with the small details, and these are the things I notice. Being met with a flute of champagne and escorted to your cabin, more expensive chocolates on your pillow, no announcements, real china in the buffet, someone to carry your tray if you choose, a linen lined tray in the buffet, unlimited towels by the pool, finesse in preparing food, thought provoking art work, eclectic yet tasteful decor, fabulous specialty dining on the M-Class ships. All the little touches add up to a wonderful product that I hope you enjoy. It's not leaps and bounds ahead of Princess, but it is a tad bit nicer IMO. I also agree with Charles about limiting oneself to one line. I could never do this, too boring. I want something new and interesting and like to try out all the latest ships... regardless of the line. I'm not loyal to any one line, but in the large ship category Celebrity would probably be my first choice. Even so, I would not hesitate to sail on Carnival, Princess, NCL, RCI, etc., and do. HAL is a little sedate for me so I tend to avoid them. Ernie "Brenda" wrote in message m... After 10 Princess cruises & their decline of service and all the nickel & diming of the past year, we have decided to change. Lori agrees with my husband's choice of Celebrity stating they have a superior product compared to Princess. I have read thru their web site & notice from air to gifts in staterooms, right there a plus after all the air problems we've have with what Princess books & then takes no concern when they work out badly from strikes to standy tix purchase. We also heard from folks employed by Princess that were on their last cruise with them. That rings bad.... One thing that caught my eye is Princess only does the entire Panama Canal in April, going to Alaska from Carib & September going to Carib from Alaska. Celebrity does it every 2 weeks CA-FL. Millenium, Infinity & Constellation seem to be our choices from photos we've seen. We have to have a balcony! So I would love to hear from Celebrity-aholics about these ships, the verandah staterooms, etc. One question: Do only suites get robes? But then again, this is almost 2004 & all cruiselines may be into the nickel & diming, so if they are not much different from Princess, then we will stay & I appreciate you telling me so. As Princess Platinum, we only see free Net a ccess when it is open, a disembarkation lounge with continental breakfast, never an email of deals, and no gifts, unless Lori sends me a towel or bag. |
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