What Is the Difference between Princess and Celebrity Cruises?

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Selecting the right cruise line is essential because it determines your vacation's overall experience. Regarding the modern and elegant sphere of cruise traveling, only two cruises are leaders in this industry: Celebrity Cruises and Princess Cruises. These two brands assure their passengers of a sophisticated and up-to-date onboard experience; however, they target different groups of customers and have distinctive characteristics. This article will unravel the unique features of Princess and Celebrity Cruises in different areas to enable you to make an informed choice regarding the next cruise journey you wish to take.

Difference between Princess and Celebrity Cruises

1. Size of Fleet, Ship Size

Celebrity Cruises has a fleet of 13 stylish and modern ships, none built before 2000. Celebrity Ships range from the smallest, such as Celebrity Xpedition and Celebrity Flora, which take only up to 100 passengers, to the largest, such as Celebrity Reflection, which hosts up to 3,030 passengers. At the same time,

Princess Cruises has an enormous fleet of 18 ships, three of which were developed before 2000. On the other hand, the smallest one, the Pacific Princess, can accommodate 672 passengers, whereas the largest one, the Sky Princess, can hold 3,660 passengers. 1995 Sun Princess and Sea Princess of 1998 Princess Cruises leans towards tradition.

2. Pricing

Celebrity Cruises uses a tiered pricing model for cabin categories, offering up to four inclusions like beverage packages, free internet, gratuities, and onboard credit. Celebrity Cruises is generally higher-priced than standard cruise lines, with its flagship, the Celebrity Edge, claiming to be the most luxurious ship in the fleet.

Princess Cruises uses industry-standard pricing, regularly offering sales. Their pricing consists of dining in several main dining room venues, but specialty restaurants are sometimes charged for.

3. Demographics

Both cruise lines have similar target customers, with median ages from the mid-40s to the mid-50s. Celebrity Cruises attracts young entrepreneurs, food lovers, and rising power couples, making a sophisticated ambiance on board. Princess Cruises is more traditional and attracts families, couples, and friends of all ages.

Princess Cruises attracts different crowds for Caribbean and Alaska cruises, whereas some itineraries in foreign lands attract passengers over 55.

4. Itineraries/Destinations/Homeports

Celebrity Cruises provides a wide range of itineraries from Destinations on the North American mainland, including Alaska, the Caribbean, the Bahamas, Bermuda, Hawaii, New England/Canada, and Europe. They also offer adventure cruises to Australia, Asia, South America, the South Pacific, and the Middle East.

Princess Cruises parallels this wide variety of offerings with seasonal cruises from seven North American mainland ports, extensive Alaska programs, and sailings to Mexico, Hawaii, the Caribbean, the Bahamas, Europe, Australia, Asia, and world cruises. If you prefer specific destinations, this may be the decision between the two that you make.

5. Cabins

Celebrity Cruises and Princess Cruises are similar regarding their various cabin categories. Still, Celebrity Cruises has the upper hand with comprehensive suite benefits, such as priority boarding, unlimited dining at specialty restaurants, and spa-like AquaClass suites. While Princess Cruises offers unique cabin options such as mini-suites and suites without balconies, it provides fewer amenities. Still, it promotes the exclusivity of suites such as butler service and complimentary laundry.

6. Dining

The two cruise lines offer different dining experiences. Celebrity Cruises has a set and flexible dining schedule, and additional specialty restaurants are on board at an additional charge. Princess Cruises provides traditional fixed dining, flexible Anytime Dining, and fewer alternative restaurants concentrating on partnerships with celebrity chefs such as Curtis Stone and chocolatier Norman Love.

7. Pool Deck to Sports Deck Fun

Celebrity Cruises and Princess Cruises then offer several pools and hot tubs; however, Celebrity focuses on a more refined and comfortable pool deck environment. On the other hand, Princess Cruises makes sea days more fun with silly poolside games. Both of these cruise lines provide services for outdoor enthusiasts with jogging tracks, basketball Courts, and extra facilities like the Lawn Club on Celebrity Cruises and golf activities on Princess Cruises.

8. Indoor Fun and Nightlife

On both cruise lines, indoor activities range from dance classes and trivia to themed lectures and arts and crafts. Celebrity Cruises uniquely provides computer skills classes on its iLounge, while Princess Cruises emphasizes destination-specific courses and programs. Regarding nightlife, both cruise lines provide theater productions, live music, and dance clubs but with different flavors. Celebrity Cruises integrates contemporary entertainment in places such as the Eden Lounge, and Princess Cruises works with famous composers for special musical performances.

9. Family Focus and Tradition vs. Innovation

Families are catered for by Celebrity Cruises and Princess Cruises, which offer children's programs. Celebrity offers Camp at Sea with four subgroups according to age, while Princess has Camp Discovery brackets, divided into three age groups. Celebrity Cruises provides recent innovations, especially on its Edge-class ships, while Princess Cruises focuses on tradition, bearing multiple main dining areas and only a few extra-fee specialty restaurants.

Related: What Cruise Line Is Best for World Cruises?

Conclusion

In Celebrity Cruises vs. Princess Cruises, the choice is more of a personal decision and depends on individual preferences and priorities. Suppose you are searching for a more modern and chic atmosphere focusing on exquisite entertainment and innovative elements. In that case, the resort might be a good pick for you with the help of Celebrity Cruises. However, if you want to focus on a more traditional yet elegant experience featuring a collaboration with famous chefs and entertainment outfits, Princess Cruises may be your cruise line. Resultantly, consider where you are planning to go on your cruise vacation – the destinations you have in mind, your desired onboard experiences, and, finally, the audience that means the most to you.