Cruise Spotlight
Helping you find cruise ships you'll love
Enchanted Princess vs Xcite
The Princess Cruises Enchanted Princess was built in 2021. It's 7 years older than the Xcite, which was built in 2028. The Celebrity Xcite will be largely similar to its predecessor, Xcel. It's the evolution of the Edge Class design with enhancements over the original Edge with more outdoor space, a more open central atrium, and an improved Rooftop Garden, plus 7 new spaces that debuted on the Xcel. The Xcite is still under construction and Celebrity hasn't released all the details yet.
Comparison Overview
- Ship Size
- Number of Passengers
- Food and Restaurants
- Bars and Drinks
- Pools and Hot Tubs
- Ship Features and Activities
- Cruise Costs
- Onboard Costs
Ship Size
The Enchanted Princess is considered a medium size ship. Coming in at 1,083 feet long and 126 feet wide, it's roughly the length of 3 football fields, as wide as 2.4 tractor-trailers and the same height as a 19-story building. It's about the same size as the Celebrity Xcite.
Number of Passengers
Princess Cruises Enchanted Princess holds 12% more passengers than the Xcite based on double occupancy (two people per room). When you look at the "Space Ratio," or the total tonnage of a ship compared to the number of passengers, the Enchanted Princess has less space per person compared to the Xcite.
| Princess Cruises Enchanted Princess | Celebrity Xcite | |
|---|---|---|
| Class | Royal | Edge |
| Gross Tonnage | 145,000 | 140,600 |
| Length | 1,083 | 1,072 |
| Beam/Width | 126 | 128 |
| Passenger Decks | 19 | 16 |
| Passengers (double occupancy) | 3,660 | 3,260 |
| Crew | 1,346 | 1,416 |
| Passenger to Crew Ratio | 2.7 | 2.3 |
| Space Ratio (tons of ship per passenger) | 40 | 43 |
Food and Restaurants
Food is a big part of any cruise, and the ship you choose can make a huge difference in your food experience.
The Enchanted Princess has fourteen different dining options like O'Malleys Irish Pub, The Catch by Rudi, and Chef's Table Lumiere. Of those options, eleven are complementary, or included with your cruise fare. The other eight options have an additional fee.
The Xcite has seven more dining venues. Some of its popular venues are Cosmopolitan Restaurant, Blu, and Oceanview Cafe. eight of these restaurants are complementary and the other thirteen have an additional fee.
If you like having a variety of places to eat, the Xcite might be a better choice. It has 50% more dining options than the Enchanted Princess.
If you're looking to avoid extra money while on board, the Enchanted Princess might be a better choice then the Xcite. More of the dining options are included in the base cruise fare, potentially saving you money.
| Princess Cruises Enchanted Princess | Celebrity Xcite | |
|---|---|---|
| Total Dining Options | 14 | 21 |
| Complimentary Dining Options: | 11 | 8 |
| Additional Fee Dining Options: | 8 | 13 |
| % of Included Options | 43% | 38% |
| See the options | See the options |
In terms of drinks and cocktails, you have a variety of choices. Both ships serve the Coca-cola family of products. That means Coke, Diet Coke, Sprite and Barqs Root Beer, although the selection can vary by ship.
There are also plenty of bars available on these ships. You can check out recent the bar menus for the Xcite below.
Pools and Hot Tubs
Nothing beats relaxing by a pool with a nice drink in hand as you feel the fresh sea breeze pass by you. The Princess Cruises Enchanted Princess has a total of 4 pools and 10 hot tubs. 1 of the pools and 1 of the hot tubs are exclusive access, which means there's either an extra charge to access them or you need to book a certain class of cabin to have access to them.
Celebrity Xcite has more pools than the Enchanted Princess and fewer hot tubs. There are more exclusive pools and hot tubs on the Xcite. If you don't mind paying for exclusive access to areas in order to have less crowds, this might be a better choice.
| Princess Cruises Enchanted Princess | Celebrity Xcite | |
|---|---|---|
| Total Pools | 4 | 5 |
| Pools - General Access | 3 | 3 |
| Pools - Adults Only | 1 | |
| Pools - Exclusive | 1 | 1 |
| Total Hot Tubs | 10 | 6 |
| Hot Tubs - General Access | 9 | 2 |
| Hot Tubs - Adults Only | 2 | |
| Hot Tubs - Exclusive | 1 | 2 |
Ship Features and Activities
Both ships have lots of activities to keep you busy throughout your cruise. Below you'll see a list of some of the major features on these ships. On the Enchanted Princess, 73% of the activities below are included in the cruise fare. On the Xcite, only 62% of the activities are included, meaning you might spend more money while on board.
| Princess Cruises Enchanted Princess | Celebrity Xcite | |
|---|---|---|
| Adults-only area (additional fee) | ✓ | ✗ |
| Afternoon Tea | ✓ | ✗ |
| Art Auctions | ✓ | ✗ |
| Beyond the Podium Talk Series | ✗ | ✓ |
| Bingo | ✗ | ✓ |
| Casino | ✓ | ✓ |
| Cooking Class | ✗ | ✓ |
| Fitness Center | ✓ | ✓ |
| Jogging Track | ✓ | ✓ |
| Mini golf | ✓ | ✗ |
| Outdoor movies | ✗ | ✓ |
| Pickleball | ✗ | ✓ |
| Pool-side Movies | ✓ | ✗ |
| Rooftop Garden | ✗ | ✓ |
| Shows - musical review | ✓ | ✓ |
| Spa | ✓ | ✓ |
| Sports Court | ✓ | ✗ |
| The Bazaar Entertainment Space | ✗ | ✓ |
| Thermal Suites | ✗ | ✓ |
| Learn more | Learn more |
Cruise Costs
Princess Cruises and Celebrity are both considered "Premium" cruise lines. Premium cruise lines typically offer upscale food, accommodations, and service. These typically cost about $150 - $400 per person per day.
Cruise pricing is dynamic and varies for each specific sailing based on factors such as departure point, ports of call, and time of year. Typically newer ships cost more, so a cruise on Princess Cruises Enchanted Princess will likely be cheaper than on Celebrity Xcite.
Onboard Costs
Another way to gauge the cost of a cruise is to consider how much you'll spend on board. Even though a lot is included in the base cruise fare, you may still spend money on things like spa treatments, specialty dining, drinks, and excursions. In addition, guests can also have to pay for things like gratuities and tips.
Typically guests can expect to spend about 25 - 40% of the cost of the cruise on onboard expenses. In other words, if the cruise fare is $1,000 per person, you might spend between $250 and $400 on extra expenses.
The table below will help you compare onboard prices to see if you might spend more on a specific ship.
| Princess Cruises Enchanted Princess | Celebrity Xcite | |
|---|---|---|
| Base Daily Gratuities* (Per Person Per Day) | $17.00 | $18.00 |
| Tip added to drinks & services | 18% | 20% |
| Soda Price | $2.50 | $4.00 |
| Domestic Beer Price | $6.25 | $8.00 See drink menus |
| Drink Package Price | $77 -$100 | $55 - $99 Learn more |
| Internet Plan | $24.99 per device per day | $19 to $30 per device per day |
| *Daily gratuities for a standard cabin. Suites or specialty rooms may have higher rates. | ||
Princess Cruises offers two packages to bundle onboard expenses. The Princess Plus package includes daily gratuities, the basic beverage package, 2 fitness classes, 2 casual dining meals, and internet for $60 per day per guest. The Princess Premier package upgrades to the premiere beverage package, wifi for up to 4 devices per guest, two specialty dining meals, unlimited casual dining meals, unlimited fitness classes, and a photo package for $80 per guest per day.
Celebrity Cruise Lines offers an "All Included" program. Guests who book a cruise using this promotion will have wifi and alcohol included. Some sailings are available without this program so pay attention when booking. Typically prices are lower if they don't include "Always Included." The wifi and alcohol package are the base levels and can be upgraded for an additional cost.
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Founded in 2020, Cruise Spotlight's goal is to help people understand every aspect of cruising. Plenty of sites focus on the perfect Instagram pictures and marketing fluff. We focus on what really matters: onboard expenses, tips for cruise ships, detailed cruise reviews, and more. Our goal is to provide helpful, unbiased information to new and established cruisers. Over the years, we've helped millions of people get the most from their cruise vacation.
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