Celebrity vs RCCL vs Princess

J

jssh1

Guest
Hello! We're planning a cruise for end of April/early May 2003 and deciding between Celebrity Century, RCCL Explorer and Princess ' Grand Princess for the Carribean. We're looking for a cruise that is fairly laid back but where we can be physically active (burn off all those calories that you consume) with really good gourmet-type food - don't have to be around the clock - but very good quality.

We're in our mid-30s, non-smokers. This will be our 3rd cruise - previous ones on Renaissance (Mediterranean) and Radisson(Tahiti).
Can anyone tell us which they prefer for people like us? After running around the ports, we're not up for dancing the night away, but enjoy the entertainment usually.

Also, are there any additional documentation/fees needed such as visas for the Carribean ports?
Thanks very much!
 
T

The Nuge

Guest
Can't speak for Princess (although I have been told they are top notch) but Rccl is my personal favorite. Didn't care for Celebrity however many others do. Being in your mid 30's, I would advise against Celebrity since I only saw older passengers. Rccl seemed to much more active. Either one you choose will be a great experience. All of us have our personal favs. Good luck!
 
B

BSeabob

Guest
I have not travelled Princes but know lots who have. I would say for a 7 dayer any one of those ships would meet your needs. Big difference would be the size. The Century believe it or not is the small ship in that group.
 
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paljoeysmom

Guest
Take the RCCL. The food is not that great on Princess. I have been on Celebrity and feel you get a better value with RCCL. You won't need any visa docs in the Carribean, just your passport (from your trip to Tahiti will do) BTW, I have been to Tahiti twice, once to Club Med Moorea, and the 2nd time on a Princess cruise from Hawaii to Tahiti. I love Moorea and Bora Bora. Best of luck.
 
N

Nanatravel

Guest
We have cruised with all three lines and classes of their ships. Celebrity offers the best food and service but the Century (60m tons) is the smallest of your choices. This is not a bad thing as their is a nice spa, a Thallostherpy pool $, 2 tier dining room, good entertainment and variety of lounges plus usually full days in port. The average will be older than you two however but you won't be alone in your age group. It is not a singles cruise line. Princess (106,000 tons) ship is just plain HUGE. There are dead ends which can get very frustrating but manageable. Entertainment is top notch. There is no midnight buffet due to 24 hr. dining available in the buffet. There are two fee based restaurants: Southwestern and Italian if you like variety of dining venues. There was no Welcome Aboard party but a repeaters party was held and you could meet the Captain there if you where to go. RCCL (108,000 tons) ship is also huge but offers a lot of variety in physical things to do and different entertainment like the Atrium Parade and Ice Show, Roller Blade track, Rock climbing wall, etc.. RCCL does get more families, honeymooners, too and they do a great job keeping the kids busy compared to Celebrity & Princess. I have found the Explorer class to be the more expensive with the other two about equal. Cabin size is also very similar.
Bon Voyage
 
O

Oink

Guest
We've sailed twice each on Celebrity and Princess, with a 3rd Celebrity cruise booked(leaving in 8 days). We've found that Celebrity has much nicer, roomier and better laid out cabins with ample closet space. They pay close attention to the details and overall cleanliness of the ship. Their level of service is far superior to Princess in many ways. The drawbacks for Celebrity are that they tend to be a little "strict" with dress code, which some people like....but we think is a bit snobbish. Also, they don't leave their pools and spas open late like Princess does. Food wise, I'd say they are comparable. However, Celebrity has midnight buffets or gourmet bites every night, where Princess has a 24 food court with minimal offerings. Activities seemed comparable as well. You will only need your passport or other official documentation to take a caribbean cruise.
 
K

kkorman

Guest
Based on your stats, I woul dlean towards Princess. They have a lot to offer... great food and service, 24 hour fresh water pool, a little more upscale than RCI, and less kids. You can be as active as you want on the ship. RCI Explorer does have more unique activites (rock climbing wall, in-line skating rink, ice skating), but do not like the skating and if you do ht ewall once, you are back to the normal fitness options.
 
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ljeanbrown

Guest
Based on your past cruisees I would suggest Celebrity. Class act, great, great service, enough to do but enough places to be along our just chill out. And based on your past ships, I think the Century would be a great choice, unless you would like to change to a larger ship, then you would go with the Millie class, as they are much larger. Good luck and have a great cruise no matter which line you choose :wave





Laurie :wave
 
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