Questions about Princess

[ActiveTraveler]

I want to do a two-week cruisetour in Europe alone. My criteria, in no particular order:

1. Very few or no children thoughout vacation

2. Laundry valet on board (even if I must pay)

3. Long days in most Western Europe ports

4. Variety of guided tours - group and private

5. Award-winning entertainment productoins

6. Refrigerator in cabin for keeping milk cold

7. Freedom to be casual most of the cruise

8. Lectures and classes about many topics

9. Host ambassadors to dance with nightly

10. Uncrowded pool good for lap swimming

Will Princess fill most of these requirements? I am guessing for a two-week cruisetour, especially overseas when school is in session, the kid problem can be reduced. Yes, I did go to the company's official website, but it helps to know what passengers observe. I did not list prices because in my mind basing a cruise ship on that will fail to satisfy a desire to get everything else I want. Crystal looks great for accomplishing this, except I would never be allowed to wear t-shirts and jeans anywhere even on port days and they have no cruisetours. Can Princess come close to Crystal in quality, if not luxury?

[Coral]

Princess is not Crystal quality.

 

Answers to your questions.

1. Pick a cruise not during the summer or over a holiday and there won't be many kids. Especially on longer cruises.

2. There is self serve laundry (for a small fee) plus you can send your laundry out (for a fee).

3. You will have to look at itineraries - I think Crystal does more over nights and offers more free shuttles to town verses Princess usually does overnights in a few places and you often have to pay a shuttle to get into town.

4. Lots of tours on Princess but not "build your own tour like on Crystal. Crystal has a lot of higher end tours but Princess's tours for the most part are pretty good and you have the option often to take smaller group tours.

5. Plenty of entertainment - I found it better on Princess then my one Crystal trip. Though, IMO, secondary in Europe.

6. Yes - refrigerator

7. Yes - casual is fine most of the time and options to be casual all the time is available.

8. Lectures are based on destination (none in the Caribbean) - I know they have them in Alaska and Panama Canal and a few other places. Sorry - Haven't cruised to Europe with Princess.

9. No ambassadors - you may want to try HAL.

10. Outside of the Caribbean, pools are not that full. Depending on the ship, there may be plenty of space on the pools.

 

 

I think you will get a better (higher end experience) on the Ocean and Pacific Princess (smaller end ships) but there are fewer options on those ships (less pools, etc...). These are former R ships and holds approx 700 people.

 

Much more options on the larger ships but it feels more like a mega ship, not sure if that is what you are looking for.

 

For the most part - I would pick a ship based on the itinerary and go with that.

 

Good luck!

[Toto2Kansas]

1. Very few or no children thoughout vacation

2. Laundry valet on board (even if I must pay)

3. Long days in most Western Europe ports

4. Variety of guided tours - group and private

5. Award-winning entertainment productoins

6. Refrigerator in cabin for keeping milk cold

7. Freedom to be casual most of the cruise

8. Lectures and classes about many topics

9. Host ambassadors to dance with nightly

10. Uncrowded pool good for lap swimming

 

 

I am not sure Princess is the cruise line you are looking for with these requirements. Those I placed in red are a bit on the iffy side. Those in bolded red will be almost (if not completely) impossible.

 

I agree with Coral. Crystal might be something more to your liking. Good luck on whichever line you decide to sail with.

[ActiveTraveler]

I guess I have to forget about cruisetours and dressing casual. Those were the benefits that put Princess on my list - as well as the fact my older sister and BIL have sailed on three Princess cruises. It is not that I hate dressing up; I just do not want to change for supper after wearing a t-shirt and jeans in port and have only two dresses. Oh well, it is never a bad thing to learn my original plan should not be changed.

[Woobstr112G]

1. Very few or no children thoughout vacation

ans: Kinda a roll of the dice. in Europe, you're less likely to run into kids than the carib.

2. Laundry valet on board (even if I must pay)

ans: Nope

3. Long days in most Western Europe ports

ans: Possible, but not likely. for our past T/A, we were only in Lisbon for 6 hrs..:(

4. Variety of guided tours - group and private

ans: Do you mean ship v private?

5. Award-winning entertainment productoins

ans: subjective, some cruisers like shows, other do not. We did.

6. Refrigerator in cabin for keeping milk cold

ans: small fridge in cabin. usually works well.

7. Freedom to be casual most of the cruise

ans: No jeans/caps in MDR, no casual clothes in MDR on formal nights

8. Lectures and classes about many topics

ans: Princess does have gust lecturers on most of their voyages

9. Host ambassadors to dance with nightly

ans: Nope

10. Uncrowded pool good for lap swimming

ans: Nope

Bob

[HomelessBear]

1. Very few or no children thoughout vacation

ans: Kinda a roll of the dice. in Europe, you're less likely to run into kids than the carib.

 

I have been on both med and caribbean cruises and there were more children on the med cruises, so this is not always the case. You just never know.....

[1cruiselvr]

I don't think the DR's on Princess allow T-shirts and jeans. That casual would be for the Buffet. A long cruise with only buffet dining would be tiring in MHO. If it was me, I'd bring my 2 dresses and wear them. Happy Sailing!