Carnival vs. Princess

[Hat Pinz Guy]

I am a Carnival person and the DW is a Princess convert. We got a hellacious last minute deal last year on Princess and could not turn it down. If we can, going forward, we will try to do one Princess and one. Carnival, yearly. We did the Southern Caribbean on both lines a year apart. - l like the atmosphere on Carnival because its like its wide open 24/7 , Always something going on and my vacations are limited , so when I go , "I go". But on Princess you will relax , their motto is escape completely. The rooms are bigger on Carnival, but the rooms are better organized on princess in the way the room is structured . It was like we had a walk in closet and it never seems to get in the way like it does on some CCL ships with the closetd that open into the room. (Not like I am in the room more than 4 hours daily anyway). The beds are way more comfortable on CCL. The food to me was about the same but you get bigger servings on Princess, I think the excursions are less expensive on CCL. I absolutely despise not being able to pay for everything up front on Princess and no towel animals every night like CCL. Other than those nitpicks, we still enjoy princess just about the same. I say go for it. You want be disappointed.

[manunch]

DH and I were 27 & 25 when we went on Princess. We were just about the youngest on the cruise. We come from a small town in northern CA, we are by no means "upper class". We felt like royalty all week. That was by far our favorite cruise, and vacation for that matter. We would cruise Princess again in a heartbeat, if the price was right.

 

I especially liked tea time every afternoon. The dining room was also open for lunch everyday, not just sea days.

 

Choose Princess, you cannot go wrong.

[dclark]

. I absolutely despise not being able to pay for everything up front on Princess and no towel animals every night like CCL. O

 

O my last Princess cruise, I asked and got nightly towel animals and they were better than anything I got on CCL! On the 2nd to last night, we came back to a large swan with three little swans behind it sitting in a nest.

The last night, we wondered how the steward would top that. We rushed back and saw nothing. My daughter was sad and then shouted "There it is!" shoved between two pillows on her bed was the head of a mouse made of a hand towel.

We took that one home!

[halos]

I have sailed Princess 4 times and just got back from my second Carnival cruise on Saturday so things are fresh in my mind.

 

For those that like to pick apart a poster, stop reading because I am going to be honest in what I thought were differences. Flame me all you want, I'm a mother, the youngest in a family of 5 and have been in management for most of my life. I'm tough! :)

 

.

 

I think that was great!! I found nothing to pick apart....it seemed like a very fair comparison to me. Thanks for posting :)

[rjeffler]

I agree with many of the posts. I think the Princess are a step above Carnival. It really depends on what you are looking for. I found the food a bit more refined on Princess but I like simple stuff, so I enjoyed Carnival's food better. My husband enjoys fancier things, so he liked the food on Princess better. The atmosphere was night and day. Fun and games on Carnival and very Vegas like look. Princess was more elegant and lots of wood around the boat. The night life was only existing on Carnival. I was probably the youngest person on my Princess trip (10 day Panama Canal) and I was 26 at the time. My group of 8 friends ended up being the only ones in the bars/dance clubs after 9:00. Good thing is the DJ played anything we wanted and we got to know the entertainers well. Carnival is much more lively!

 

That about sums it up for me.

[Kurbanfan]

I agree with many of the posts. I think the Princess are a step above Carnival. It really depends on what you are looking for. I found the food a bit more refined on Princess but I like simple stuff, so I enjoyed Carnival's food better. My husband enjoys fancier things, so he liked the food on Princess better. The atmosphere was night and day. Fun and games on Carnival and very Vegas like look. Princess was more elegant and lots of wood around the boat. The night life was only existing on Carnival. I was probably the youngest person on my Princess trip (10 day Panama Canal) and I was 26 at the time. My group of 8 friends ended up being the only ones in the bars/dance clubs after 9:00. Good thing is the DJ played anything we wanted and we got to know the entertainers well. Carnival is much more lively!

 

That about sums it up for me.

 

Even Carnivals longer cruises are an older crowd...........

The majority of Princess itineraries are longer thus older crowd.......we sailed the 7 day on the Crown and I found no difference in the ages compared to Carnival......it was lively everynight on our cruise.........

[mizLORInj]

Cold towels? Must've missed that on the 3 Princess cruises that I recall. I'll be looking for it in March on the Island Princess!

Both lines have their great points. I think Carnival's shows are better. I like the popcorn & milk & cookies at MUTS on Princess. Buffet area better on Princess. DRs comparable. I like the chocolate heart dessert (Love Boat ?) dessert on Princess; Carnival's chocolate melting cake is raw eggy batter in the center--yuck). Cabin layouts slightly different. Princess pizza the best at sea, Carnival a second. Yes, Princess decor is more elegant; Carnival more colorful. I don't mind the differences. I like both and will continue to sail both.

Pls try out and see for yourself!

[Nunu]

I also think Princess does a MUCH better job in how they utilize the big screen on deck.

[Kurbanfan]

I also think Princess does a MUCH better job in how they utilize the big screen on deck.

 

Yes much better sound system and seating IMO........

Also big screen at one pool and band at the other.........

[Nunu]

Yes much better sound system and seating IMO........

Also big screen at one pool and band at the other.........

 

Don't forget the blankets and free popcorn...

[SCFCRUISER]

Yes much better sound system and seating IMO........

Also big screen at one pool and band at the other.........

 

Kurban, I know you have been on Princess before. Although we are platinum on Carnival, we want to try another line. We are booked on the Emerald Princess in January(haven't had time to update my signature yet). If you have been on the Emerald, can you give me a few comments about the ship? Good & bad.

If not, if anyone else would like to comment I would appreciate it.

 

Thanks,

Steve

[mizLORInj]

Kurban, I know you have been on Princess before. Although we are platinum on Carnival, we want to try another line. We are booked on the Emerald Princess in January(haven't had time to update my signature yet). If you have been on the Emerald, can you give me a few comments about the ship? Good & bad.

If not, if anyone else would like to comment I would appreciate it.

 

Thanks,

Steve

 

 

OK I'm not Kurban, but I LOVED Emerald Princess last year. . . full review in member review section. LOVE the aft adults only pool on Riviera deck, MUTS with popcorn, cookies & milk (Free), the clamshell area up front, food, steakhouse, ice cream at 3:30, club Fusion, lobby area, etc. Gorgeous ship.

Only negative is if you've been to Half Moon Cay, Princess Cays will be a disappointment!

[Mon Cherie]

We have done several Carnival Cruises and then decided to get married on Princess at sea. Carnival we did caribbean cruises and Princess was trans-atlantic. Maybe that was the difference. Princess had better food and the staff was super & we loved the anytime dining. However, the cabin (we always do balcony) was much smaller and definately lacking in storage space. The bathroom was smaller & we were not offered any tidbits (toothpaste, razor etc.) but we did get a refrigerator & mini bar. I did not notice any difference in the balcony size, also the balconys were tiered out so the person above could look directly down into your space. Fortunately we were at the top. Yes the door slides closed, which helped us to get locked out there on the first night and do you know, there was not one person on their balcony at 9:00 pm? We wound up waking our neighbors pounding on the walls so they could have security come let us back in. Yes our neighbors & most of the ship as well were asleep at that hour. Most everyone had walkers & canes, my husband is over 60 and the cruise was too "old" for even him. On the plus side if pirates came everyone was armed with sticks. Let's talk entertainment. It was the worst. I think they were changing the dance teams & singers and most of the routines were not well timed at all. The comedians had very few jokes that we had not heard before. I felt sorry for one of them I heard telling the cruise director after the show how he bombed, I saw the show & he did stink. Almost everything was an extra fee, right down to touring the kitchen, even hot cocoa was extra, on Carnival it's free. On a trans-atlantic cruise (6 sea days in a row) there was little to do. Ceramics (extra), bingo $20.00 a card, golf simulator, meet & greet for veterans of the civil war, bridge & similar activities but when we got to Europe, where we were stopping every day, suddenly they had plenty to do, go figure. I did not see white gloves nor cold towels but I did like the fact that you could order a bottle of your favorite liquor to keep in your cabin. If you smoke & you buy a carton of ciggarettes, they keep it until the end of the cruise, like Carnival does with the liquor. I will say the crew is johnny on the spot for every request, never too busy to take care of every need pronto. Maybe because the ship was half full, with only 7 children on board (which was a plus for me) they had plenty of time on their hands. I kind of hoped as we were being married on board we would be invited to dine with the captain but they offered us nothing extra except some balloons on the door, which was cute. All in all, we spent over $15,000 on board and had less fun than on carnival where we spend less than $5,000 including tours. So if you are looking for peace & quiet, want to read or play bridge, go princess. If you want to have a little fun, watch or play interesting games & see how much you have spent & book tours on the tv in your cabin go carnival.

[SCFCRUISER]

OK I'm not Kurban, but I LOVED Emerald Princess last year. . . full review in member review section. LOVE the aft adults only pool on Riviera deck, MUTS with popcorn, cookies & milk (Free), the clamshell area up front, food, steakhouse, ice cream at 3:30, club Fusion, lobby area, etc. Gorgeous ship.

Only negative is if you've been to Half Moon Cay, Princess Cays will be a disappointment!

 

Thanks mizlorinj, I'm just a little afraid that Princess might be a little too laid back. I'm used to sitting at the casino bar on Carnival ships drinking my beer & people watching. I have read to many times that not much is going on after 9 or 10 at night.

Your comment about HMC & PC is surprising, because I have heard that PC was better. We have been to HMC & we thought you can't do any better than that.HMC ROCKS!!

[mystone99]

Thanks to everyone who ventured their opinion and this thread and the Princess thread. You've given my wife and I a lot to think about.

[halos]

Thanks to everyone who ventured their opinion and this thread and the Princess thread. You've given my wife and I a lot to think about.

more confused now than before you posted, huh??

LOL

[Kurbanfan]

Thanks mizlorinj, I'm just a little afraid that Princess might be a little too laid back. I'm used to sitting at the casino bar on Carnival ships drinking my beer & people watching. I have read to many times that not much is going on after 9 or 10 at night.

Your comment about HMC & PC is surprising, because I have heard that PC was better. We have been to HMC & we thought you can't do any better than that.HMC ROCKS!!

 

Ok I have to say something here.........any transatlantic cruise will be more laid back and filled with older people regardless of cruiseline..........

Also depending on the luck of the crowd......our Carnival Spirit cruise was a snooze cruise........

Ok now... SCFCRUISER....no I have not sailed on the Emerald Princess.......yet:D We sailed on the Crown........which is I believe a sister ship to the Emerald:confused: I do know that the Emerald is one year newer then the Crown.......

We also read posts about how Princess has no night life blah blah blah.......well I do believe that is because the majority of their itineraries are longer then 7 days......and they also do not have any under 7 days except for a few coastal sailings.......

Boy was I surprised.......we sailed the Southern Caribbean and the ages on board were no different then Carnival or RCCL....I think if you stick with the 7 day Caribbean cruises you will find this out....we are bar people too and the bars and casino were hoppin til late.......(they even had poker machines on the casino bar)

The cabins are smaller but layed out much better with plenty of storage and a great dressing area......balconies are much bigger then Carnival and have a regular size dining table and chairs with sliding doors.......if you get a regular balcony you will be at the top and nobody can look down at you.......the bigger balconies are the ones below at an additional cost....more pools with fresh water......24 hour cafe.....buffet stations instead of lines, adult sanctuary with it's own pool.......big screen separate from the lido band...great seafood buffet......and the beer was cheaper:D

I have to say we are platinum with Carnival and sailed Voyager class (which everyone says is a wow factor) I was more wowed by Princess when I first step foot on board....

I would have no problem sailing on Princess again.....we are looking into the Emerald or Ruby.......

Can you tell I like Princess? LOL!

Good luck!

[Nunu]

.

Your comment about HMC & PC is surprising, because I have heard that PC was better. We have been to HMC & we thought you can't do any better than that.HMC ROCKS!!

I'm the furthest thing from a beach lover but Half Moon Cay was the first beach that I really enjoyed for the whole day. Princess Cays, not so much.

[SCFCRUISER]

Ok I have to say something here.........any transatlantic cruise will be more laid back and filled with older people regardless of cruiseline..........

Also depending on the luck of the crowd......our Carnival Spirit cruise was a snooze cruise........

Ok now... SCFCRUISER....no I have not sailed on the Emerald Princess.......yet:D We sailed on the Crown........which is I believe a sister ship to the Emerald:confused: I do know that the Emerald is one year newer then the Crown.......

We also read posts about how Princess has no night life blah blah blah.......well I do believe that is because the majority of their itineraries are longer then 7 days......and they also do not have any under 7 days except for a few coastal sailings.......

Boy was I surprised.......we sailed the Southern Caribbean and the ages on board were no different then Carnival or RCCL....I think if you stick with the 7 day Caribbean cruises you will find this out....we are bar people too and the bars and casino were hoppin til late.......(they even had poker machines on the casino bar)

The cabins are smaller but layed out much better with plenty of storage and a great dressing area......balconies are much bigger then Carnival and have a regular size dining table and chairs with sliding doors.......if you get a regular balcony you will be at the top and nobody can look down at you.......the bigger balconies are the ones below at an additional cost....more pools with fresh water......24 hour cafe.....buffet stations instead of lines, adult sanctuary with it's own pool.......big screen separate from the lido band...great seafood buffet......and the beer was cheaper:D

I have to say we are platinum with Carnival and sailed Voyager class (which everyone says is a wow factor) I was more wowed by Princess when I first step foot on board....

I would have no problem sailing on Princess again.....we are looking into the Emerald or Ruby.......

Can you tell I like Princess? LOL!

Good luck!

 

Thanks Kurban, I feel much better about this cruise now. I will have DW read this thread tomorrow as well as the other couple we are going with. One other question i just thought of, I have heard that Princess is more dressed up attire than Carnival. What are your thoughts...

 

Thanks,

Steve

[Kurbanfan]

Thanks Kurban, I feel much better about this cruise now. I will have DW read this thread tomorrow as well as the other couple we are going with. One other question i just thought of, I have heard that Princess is more dressed up attire than Carnival. What are your thoughts...

 

Thanks,

Steve

 

Formal nights are dressier then Carnivals elegant nights......mostly suits and a few tux's for guys and cocktail dresses and a few gowns for women........like how Carnival's formal nights used to be a few years back........

Casual nights they allow nice jeans, sundresses, dockers, capris......pretty much the same as RCCL and Carnival except no shorts..........

Oh and their "anytime dining" was great........oh another thing.....not sure if you are smokers or not but they have a few non smoking nights in the casino...........this was on the Crown.........

[Nunu]

Formal nights are dressier then Carnivals elegant nights......mostly suits and a few tux's for guys and cocktail dresses and a few gowns for women........like how Carnival's formal nights used to be a few years back........

Casual nights they allow nice jeans, sundresses, dockers, capris......pretty much the same as RCCL and Carnival except no shorts..........

Oh and their "anytime dining" was great........

Did Princess pay you to infiltrate this board?

[Kurbanfan]

Did Princess pay you to infiltrate this board?

 

Hey Princess is owned by Carnival Corp:D

Which cruise did you choose for next? I am thinking about the bumper boat.......the Legend:D

[Nunu]

Hey Princess is owned by Carnival Corp:D

Which cruise did you choose for next? I am thinking about the bumper boat.......the Legend:D

 

We're probably going to book Valor when my TA gets back next week.

[Kurbanfan]

We're probably going to book Valor when my TA gets back next week.

 

Ahh the patriotic ship........the ship with the scary faces:D We had fun on the Valor...........

[Nunu]

Ahh the patriotic ship........the ship with the scary faces:D We had fun on the Valor...........

 

I can pretend I'm an Amurican. :eek: