I've heard the argument before that creams are so much faster to lather than soaps. IMO the lathering speed difference between soaps and creams is negligible; with experience it's very easy to get a fast lather from a soap. The difference would seem to be in the ease of lathering with a cream, as they have a more forgiving water ratio. Soaps take a more experienced eye because the water-to-soap ratio is harder to nail down.
Of course, this makes it sound a lot more complicated than it really is. Lathering becomes second nature fairly quickly, to the point where you don't think about it, you just do it.
The other question that always comes up is which is better - soap or cream? While some members may be firmly in one camp or the other, most will love (and have a rotation of) both. Personally I can never decide which one I prefer. I'll shave with my creams for a week or two straight, thinking that my soaps will have a hard time matching up, and then I'll use a fine soap and hit one out of the park....
Best regards,
Ryan