Did we make the right choice choosing Princess?

[rajones007]

I have a hunch that posting in this forum will result in a resounding YES to the question, but I need to ask.

 

Our plans are not carved in stone yet, but I'm being tugged towards Celebrity by my travel agent, but the more I read...and read...and read...I'm leaning towards Princess. Specifically the Caribbean Princess leaving San Juan in January of 2011 and doing an eastern tour.

 

I cruised once before with my (ex)wife and kids, about 1995, and simply loved it. It was on some defunct cruise line with a small 700 or 800 passenger ship. Without getting into a long story I'm finally getting around to going again, this time just myself and my girlfriend. We're both in our mid-40's and Canadian.

 

We're going simply to get away for the very first time, just the two of us. My kids are young adults now and out on their own, and her early-teenaged kids are staying home with their grandmother. We're very quiet people and extremely casual. We just want to relax, take in a few excursions, watch a couple shows, and eat...and eat...and eat.

 

I hate to sound like an unrefined lout, but how casual can I be when onboard the Caribbean Princess? I really don't want to pack my suit and my girlfriend really doesn't want to pack up her nicer dresses/gowns/whatever-you-call-them. When they say "smart casual" I take that to mean a pair of cotton dockers (or similar), a nice golf/polo shirt, and new/clean running shoes. Or do they mean a button-up shirt, jacket, dress pants, and black loafers? Will Princess be happy with my determination of "smart casual"? (I imagine we'll be turned away on formal night and I can live with that.) Other than meal times we'll both be in shorts, t-shirts, and sandals. All the time.

 

Also, we're not party animals. I don't drink, but my GF does. We just want to watch a show, or the comedian, etc, maybe sit on the balcony for an hour, and go to bed. I really don't want to be woke up by drunken members of the Loyal Order of Water Buffaloes marching down the hall looking for their Grand Poobah at 2 in the morning. How is the typical Princess crowd in this regard?

 

How is Princess for smokers? I'm a smoker, but I'm very courteous and aware that it bothers some people. I haven't even smoked in my own home since my kids were born. I assume smoking on the balcony of my stateroom is fine, but how restricted is it out in the open air of the top decks? The dining room understandably is a no-no, but what about other busy parts of the ship?

 

And lastly. We eat when we're hungry, not at a pre-set time. So the Any Time Dining was made for us. How does that work? Do we just show up at the dining room and ask for a seat? Do they seat you with other cruisers as if we had a pre-set time? How does that work? (I'll be honest. During my first cruise in '95 our 4 member family was paired with another 4 member family. In a nutshell: it just did not work out. We tried for the first 4 days, but gave up on day 5 and 6.)

 

Sorry if these questions have been asked and answered. I did search but sometimes it seems like some answers were contradictory.

[TracieABD]

I have a hunch that posting in this forum will result in a resounding YES to the question, but I need to ask.

 

Our plans are not carved in stone yet, but I'm being tugged towards Celebrity by my travel agent, but the more I read...and read...and read...I'm leaning towards Princess. Specifically the Caribbean Princess leaving San Juan in January of 2011 and doing an eastern tour.

 

I cruised once before with my (ex)wife and kids, about 1995, and simply loved it. It was on some defunct cruise line with a small 700 or 800 passenger ship. Without getting into a long story I'm finally getting around to going again, this time just myself and my girlfriend. We're both in our mid-40's and Canadian.

 

We're going simply to get away for the very first time, just the two of us. My kids are young adults now and out on their own, and her early-teenaged kids are staying home with their grandmother. We're very quiet people and extremely casual. We just want to relax, take in a few excursions, watch a couple shows, and eat...and eat...and eat.

 

I hate to sound like an unrefined lout, but how casual can I be when onboard the Caribbean Princess? I really don't want to pack my suit and my girlfriend really doesn't want to pack up her nicer dresses/gowns/whatever-you-call-them. When they say "smart casual" I take that to mean a pair of cotton dockers (or similar), a nice golf/polo shirt, and new/clean running shoes.This will be fine for smart casual. Or do they mean a button-up shirt, jacket, dress pants, and black loafers? Will Princess be happy with my determination of "smart casual"? (I imagine we'll be turned away on formal night and I can live with that.)This will probably not pass muster for formal night, but you can always order room service or eat in the Lido. Other than meal times we'll both be in shorts, t-shirts, and sandals. All the time.

 

Also, we're not party animals. I don't drink, but my GF does. We just want to watch a show, or the comedian, etc, maybe sit on the balcony for an hour, and go to bed. I really don't want to be woke up by drunken members of the Loyal Order of Water Buffaloes marching down the hall looking for their Grand Poobah at 2 in the morning. How is the typical Princess crowd in this regard? You find a little of everything on a Princess cruise. It is pretty quiet at night. There was not a lot of hallway running and shenanagans on the trips we have been on.

 

How is Princess for smokers? I'm a smoker, but I'm very courteous and aware that it bothers some people. I haven't even smoked in my own home since my kids were born. I assume smoking on the balcony of my stateroom is fine, but how restricted is it out in the open air of the top decks? The dining room understandably is a no-no, but what about other busy parts of the ship? There will be a couple of dedicated smoking areas. One may be on the Lido Deck and the other on the Prominade Deck. You can also smoke in the casino on most nights.

 

And lastly. We eat when we're hungry, not at a pre-set time. So the Any Time Dining was made for us. How does that work? Do we just show up at the dining room and ask for a seat? Do they seat you with other cruisers as if we had a pre-set time? How does that work? (I'll be honest. During my first cruise in '95 our 4 member family was paired with another 4 member family. In a nutshell: it just did not work out. We tried for the first 4 days, but gave up on day 5 and 6.)You can just go and wait for a table or you can make reservations.

 

Sorry if these questions have been asked and answered. I did search but sometimes it seems like some answers were contradictory.

Welcome to CC and congratulations on making your first post!

[WeBeGone]

 

I hate to sound like an unrefined lout, but how casual can I be when onboard the Caribbean Princess? I really don't want to pack my suit and my girlfriend really doesn't want to pack up her nicer dresses/gowns/whatever-you-call-them. When they say "smart casual" I take that to mean a pair of cotton dockers (or similar), a nice golf/polo shirt, and new/clean running shoes. YES, except for formal night. Or do they mean a button-up shirt, jacket, dress pants, and black loafers? Fine for formal night. Will Princess be happy with my determination of "smart casual"? YES (I imagine we'll be turned away on formal night and I can live with that.) You won't be turned awau as long as you have on a jacket, and even then I've seen guys in a shirt and tie (and pants of course). Other than meal times we'll both be in shorts, t-shirts, and sandals. All the time. Shorts are allowed in the dining room at breakfast and lunch, just not in the evening.

 

Also, we're not party animals. I don't drink, but my GF does. We just want to watch a show, or the comedian, etc, maybe sit on the balcony for an hour, and go to bed. I really don't want to be woke up by drunken members of the Loyal Order of Water Buffaloes marching down the hall looking for their Grand Poobah at 2 in the morning. How is the typical Princess crowd in this regard? That totally depends. I suggest staying away from cabins near the elevator lobbies as it is always possible to hear partiers.

How is Princess for smokers? I'm a smoker, but I'm very courteous and aware that it bothers some people. I haven't even smoked in my own home since my kids were born. I assume smoking on the balcony of my stateroom is fine, but how restricted is it out in the open air of the top decks? There places for smokers. The dining room understandably is a no-no, but what about other busy parts of the ship? You can smoke in the casino except if they specifically have a no smoking night.

 

And lastly. We eat when we're hungry, not at a pre-set time. So the Any Time Dining was made for us. How does that work? Do we just show up at the dining room and ask for a seat? Yes. Do they seat you with other cruisers as if we had a pre-set time? How does that work? (I'll be honest. During my first cruise in '95 our 4 member family was paired with another 4 member family. In a nutshell: it just did not work out. We tried for the first 4 days, but gave up on day 5 and 6.) You can request a table for 2, or you can be seated at a table for 4,6,or 8 - your choice.

 

Sorry if these questions have been asked and answered. I did search but sometimes it seems like some answers were contradictory.

 

Keep reading and join your roll call. Cruise Critic is a great resource.

[skellis]

Your analysis of "casual" is right on the money. you can eat in the dining room wearing the clothing you described, except you shouldn't do so on formal nights (although you can probably get away with it). We are cruising on the CB in October and for a first time are not bringing formal wear. On arrival on the ship we will make reservations for the Crown Grill so we can go casual.

[BlueCat1105]

From reading what I have on the Celebrity boards, they are very anti-smoking, so if I were still a smoker, I fear that I would be looked down upon on a Celebrity ship. My DH still smokes on occasion, and I wouldn't want him to be given a hard time, so we stick with lines that are not so stringent so he can have a good time without feeling like a second-class citizen. Otherwise, Celebrity seems like it is a nice line.

[Wormy53]

Welcome! You are right - most people here will tell you that you made a good choice. Here are my reasons:

 

You are in your 40's - might be a little more your age bracket.

 

You want smart casual - although all lines are starting to become more casual, I thing Princess generally trends more casual than X. You can go into the specialty dining rooms on formal night and eat there instead of the DR in smart casual attire. What you described will be perfect. Room service has fewer options for hot food on Princess than Celebrity. (But the pizza is better.)

 

The entertainment venues that you talked about are all on Princess, and I have never run into "throwing- up drunks". Tip: go to the later shows - they are not as busy as the early ones.

 

I love "anytime dining"! It works perfectly for my DH and me. No trouble to get a table for 2. Some have had a wait, but we usually eat at 8-8:30 and it has never been a problem.

 

My DH is a smoker, and that is the only reason we never go on Celebrity now. He wants to be able to smoke on the balcony. This would be a deal-breaker for him.

[Clutterlady]

You will definitely like the Caribbean Princess! If you're a smoker, you can smoke in Churchill's the cigar lounge and enjoy a drink! You can also book the two alternate restaurants for formal night and dress in resort casual.

 

Anymore questions, please don't hesitate to ask and welcome to CC:)

[woodofpine]

Sounds like you've had quite a busy life - so you deserve a vacation... You also sound pretty flexible and that helps in de-stressing and enjoying a cruise, so you ought to enjoy things.

 

Celebrity and Princess are quite similar. Celebrity has a bit more traditional style and very slightly more formal service style (pretty nuanced though). They do some things a bit better than Princess, and Princess does some things a bit better than Celeb... close call either way. Celebrity's Cruise Critic forum posters are more strongly opinionated than Princess' forum posters and whether that means anything or carries over onboard is also a tough call (doubtful; eyes of the beholder). Princess is a bit more smoker friendly so that's a plus for you. I'd say that Princess has a more 'dynamic' pool deck (being fresh water with longer even late night hours) and Princess offers food 24/7 which can be fun for those that like to graze (and I think most of us like to - periodically; even if we're not true cruise gluttons). Celeb has cultivated a slightly more 'foodie' gourmet reputation among the big lines - but its a reputation that the fans of other lines (Princess and HAL most notably) like to shout down at all 'hype' (even as Celeb loyalist nostalgically pine for yesteryear's menues, ingredients, and head chefs); GO figure! You won't go hungry or wince gaining weight on either line!

 

Ships are more impressive than the little old liner you took a decade or two ago. Have fun, relax, and enjoy; you deserve it.

[TracieABD]

Most of all (and there are some exceptions), a cruise is what you make it!:)

[wizard-of-roz]

Welcome! No matter which line you chose you won't regret it.

Celebrity is a great line and has a very similar mindset as Princess. They both do a lovely job of catering to the passenger. The crews are some of the best. The food is pretty much equal, although I thought Celebrity was better and DH thinks that Princess is the BEST, [he says that the pizza on Princess is superb]!

Celebrity has evolved into a pretty "smokeless" line. And, Princess is still allowing it, although they're becoming a little more strict on where it can be done.

Both lines have a nice policy when it comes to "formal night" and, I totally appreciate the fact that the cruising experience is looked at as something very special and it's lovely to see cruisers who acknowledge it.

Good taste and decorum are not subjective.....they just ARE!

Have a wonderful time and come back and tell us all about it!

[rajones007]

Thank you all very much for the warm welcome and good answers.

 

I asked my travel agent about my concerns for smoking on a Celebrity cruise, but she still continues to push me in that direction. I don't know, maybe there's a bonus involved. Guess it's time to put my foot down.

 

I like the Princess itinerary better than the Celebrity, at least when it comes to the islands I want to visit. I always liked the idea of having a stop on the first day, something that Princess does on my choice of cruise. I think it would be nice to let most everyone else get off while we hang back and explore the ship when it's not so packed. That way I can get my bearings and be more comfortable because I'll be more familiar with my surroundings. Maybe after lunch we'll just go to shore and freely explore for a couple hours.

 

Or am I giving myself too much credit and everybody else in the world has already thought of that?

[BayouGirlUSA]

Thank you all very much for the warm welcome and good answers.

 

I asked my travel agent about my concerns for smoking on a Celebrity cruise, but she still continues to push me in that direction. I don't know, maybe there's a bonus involved. Guess it's time to put my foot down.

 

I like the Princess itinerary better than the Celebrity, at least when it comes to the islands I want to visit. I always liked the idea of having a stop on the first day, something that Princess does on my choice of cruise. I think it would be nice to let most everyone else get off while we hang back and explore the ship when it's not so packed. That way I can get my bearings and be more comfortable because I'll be more familiar with my surroundings. Maybe after lunch we'll just go to shore and freely explore for a couple hours.

 

Or am I giving myself too much credit and everybody else in the world has already thought of that?

 

Cruise lines do give TA's incentive to book their line. Your TA may be getting a bigger incentive from Celebrity than from Princess. Go with your gut...if you feel that Princess is the line for you don't let her steer you in another direction. I just went on my first cruise in July and did a LOT of research on all the cruise lines; I chose Princess and was extremely satisfied with my choice!

[rajones007]

Well, I just sent an email to my travel agent and quoted the FAQ from the Celebrity website. It says, plain as day, that there is no smoking in the Celebrity staterooms or the verandas. And if you're caught there's a $250 cleaning charge.

 

It ticks me off she didn't know that (or just didn't want to tell me) even though that was one of my concerns when I first approached her. Oh well, she's an old family friend and it's not like I'm going to fire her.

[wizard-of-roz]

Thank you all very much for the warm welcome and good answers.

 

I asked my travel agent about my concerns for smoking on a Celebrity cruise, but she still continues to push me in that direction. I don't know, maybe there's a bonus involved. Guess it's time to put my foot down.

 

I like the Princess itinerary better than the Celebrity, at least when it comes to the islands I want to visit. I always liked the idea of having a stop on the first day, something that Princess does on my choice of cruise. I think it would be nice to let most everyone else get off while we hang back and explore the ship when it's not so packed. That way I can get my bearings and be more comfortable because I'll be more familiar with my surroundings. Maybe after lunch we'll just go to shore and freely explore for a couple hours.

 

Or am I giving myself too much credit and everybody else in the world has already thought of that?

 

You are a good thinker......give yourself some credit! We love that as well!

[5fathom]

We have booked the Grand Princess for Oct 25th. This will be cruise # 32. We have sailed on Celeb, RCI, Holland and some lines that are not around anymore.. I think Princess would be an excellent choice for a first cruise. All the ships we have sailed on have been great. We enjoyed each adventure to the fullest. After you sail a while you will find a "comfort zone" on some lines that you will not find on others. We have now settled pretty much on Princess and Holland. Princess, to us, it is like wearing a pair of my favorite slippers, very very comfortable. Is one line better than the other ? No ! Each line has it's own flavor and over time you will find your favorite.I think I would lean toward Princess for the first time. Which ever way you go enjoy the cruise, enjoy looking out to sea. Relax and have a happy trip. :)

[rdsqrl]

Thank you all very much for the warm welcome and good answers.

 

I asked my travel agent about my concerns for smoking on a Celebrity cruise, but she still continues to push me in that direction. I don't know, maybe there's a bonus involved. Guess it's time to put my foot down.

 

I like the Princess itinerary better than the Celebrity, at least when it comes to the islands I want to visit. I always liked the idea of having a stop on the first day, something that Princess does on my choice of cruise. I think it would be nice to let most everyone else get off while we hang back and explore the ship when it's not so packed. That way I can get my bearings and be more comfortable because I'll be more familiar with my surroundings. Maybe after lunch we'll just go to shore and freely explore for a couple hours.

 

Or am I giving myself too much credit and everybody else in the world has already thought of that?

Actually, I think that's a great idea! I love staying on the ship when in port -- it's usually very quiet, you have your pick of loungers, the pool to yourself . . . it's brilliant!

And, you know, I'm all for soliciting the advise and expertise of a professional TA but, at the end of the day, it's your vacation. If your gut is saying Princess, then that's what you should do in the absence of something that's a total dealbreaker. To my mind, once you said you preferred the itinerary, that should be the deciding factor. Much as I love certain ships, I'm not gonna sail on my very, very favourite ship if she's going on an itinerary I don't like but I'd definitely sail on a ship that wasn't maybe my particular first choice if the itinerary was one I wanted to do. It's still about the ports, even when we do like staying on the ship for part of the port call!

[Loonbeam]

To me, the following statement should make the decision for you. Unless the food or staff is a real motivator, what really differentiates a cruise is the ports..

 

 

 

I like the Princess itinerary better than the Celebrity, at least when it comes to the islands I want to visit. I always liked the idea of having a stop on the first day, something that Princess does on my choice of cruise.

[Gabrielle R.]

My DH & I have done both Celebrity & Princess. We have sailed 7 times on Princess, once on Celebrity. Celebrity had better food, But what I noticed is that we HAD to dress up much more on Celebrity than on Princess. Celebrity had many more dress up days calling for suit coat for my DH and I ended up wearing my dresses- lucky for me I had packed more than one!

We sailed the Caribbean last summer ('09) We had a nice time on her. Whatever you chose- have a great time!

Gabrielle

[Shifra]

My one and only experience with a brick & mortar TA was interesting at best. After telling the TA that my dh & I wanted a quiet & relaxing cruise, she suggested Carnival would suit us well. What? :eek: This was early on in our cruise history and thank goodness I am a research nut, because I knew while Carnival may be good for some, it would have been a disaster for us.

 

Since you ta is a friend you may have to be a bit more tactful but you should go with your instincts. I think Princess would be a good fit for you.

[rajones007]

I'm hoping to get some firm info and dollar amounts from my travel agent today. I'll put a deposit down later this week if everything falls together. Now I need to get my girlfriend going on getting her passport.

 

The TA needs to put together a flight package. Without getting into detail, and from what I can see online, flying in on Saturday would be best so that's what I think we'll do.

 

The ship departs on Sunday at 11pm, what is the earliest we can board? I know it arrives back in port from the previous cruise at 6am.

 

The flight back may be a bit of a pain. My only direct flight on Sunday leaves San Juan at 5.15pm. The ship reaches port at 6.00am. How long can I stay onboard the ship until they kick me off? The longer I'm onboard the better, as I'm certain it will beat sitting in the airport.

[nickels549]

We're taking our first Princess cruise, and my in-laws are taking their first Celebrity cruise in December. I can only imagine the discussion we'll have at Christmas comparing the two lines! We're going for 7 nights, while they go for 10. My husband and I are in our late 20s and sailed RCCL for our wedding and a Christmas cruise, Carnival for our honeymoon and NCL a few years ago for a quick getaway. Overall we like RCCL the best but wanted to try something new. We are not party people and look forward to a more subdued atmosphere on Princess. We did not like Carnival or NCL. Hopefully I'll have a nice family comparison of Princess and Celebrity after the holidays! :)

[toberman]

I'm hoping to get some firm info and dollar amounts from my travel agent today. I'll put a deposit down later this week if everything falls together. Now I need to get my girlfriend going on getting her passport.

 

The TA needs to put together a flight package. Without getting into detail, and from what I can see online, flying in on Saturday would be best so that's what I think we'll do.

 

The ship departs on Sunday at 11pm, what is the earliest we can board? I know it arrives back in port from the previous cruise at 6am.

 

The flight back may be a bit of a pain. My only direct flight on Sunday leaves San Juan at 5.15pm. The ship reaches port at 6.00am. How long can I stay onboard the ship until they kick me off? The longer I'm onboard the better, as I'm certain it will beat sitting in the airport.

 

 

Don't know where you are in Canada, but if you're close enough to drive to the States, you'll get flights for half the price. Princess is a good choice, especially since it has the itinerary you want. Have fun.

[Denny01]

We are usually Celebrity cruisers and love that Line, but we cruised the Canal on Island Princess and have two more upcoming on Princess, so that should tell you something.

 

I agree smoking is more limited on Celebrity, but disagree with the postings about Celebritypeoples' attitude toward smokers. If smokers do so in the designated areas, no problems. The threads get edgy because there is always someone trying to find a way of breaking the rules or throwing in the 'its my cruise and you shouldn't restict me' posts just to stir up an arguement and there is always someone who takes the bait and it gets nasty. Human nature of easily being baited, not anti-smokers ruling the Line and looking down on smokers.

 

I won't go into comparisons because one Princess cruise doesn't give me the insight to go further, and most are subjective. We are talking about Cruising and Vacationing!

 

One suggestion....if your TA keeps aiming you towards Celebrity and you've already shown your interest in Princess and prefer that itinerary, try another TA. Why battle someone who is suppose to be assisting you in getting what you want. It's always good to listen to a TA on advice but it looks like you have more than a few issues that aim you to Princess (itinerary, smoker, want more options on Formal nights..) that your TA should have picked up on....instead of their bonus for aiming you to some other Line.

 

Denny

[PescadoAmarillo]

One suggestion....if your TA keeps aiming you towards Celebrity and you've already shown your interest in Princess and prefer that itinerary, try another TA. Why battle someone who is suppose to be assisting you in getting what you want.

Absolutely. Especially given the smoking restrictions on Celebrity. TAs are supposed to guide through confusion, not force because of personal opinion.

 

You can't go wrong with either choice. RC was our first and favorite cruise line. Couldn't imagine anything different...until we tried Celebrity. Then RC and Celebrity were our favorites, until we tried NCL. Well, then RC and Celebrity were still our favorites, but not to be deterred, we tried Princess. Wasn't the best first impression, but we stuck with it for the itineraries, and it became one of our 3 favorites. Next we're trying HAL. Cruise lines are like countries...there's none that I don't want to sail on (visit) at least once. I may not return, but I love the adventure of trying something different.

 

Re: dressing up on Celebrity. It's changed in recent years. They've done away with Informal and now have the same two dress suggestions as Princess. They tend to be a bit dressier, but we pack the same clothes for both.

[rajones007]

Don't know where you are in Canada, but if you're close enough to drive to the States, you'll get flights for half the price. Princess is a good choice, especially since it has the itinerary you want. Have fun.

It is an option I'm aware of. I'm about 3.5 hours from Syracuse and am already considering that.

 

One suggestion....if your TA keeps aiming you towards Celebrity and you've already shown your interest in Princess and prefer that itinerary, try another TA. Why battle someone who is suppose to be assisting you in getting what you want. It's always good to listen to a TA on advice but it looks like you have more than a few issues that aim you to Princess (itinerary, smoker, want more options on Formal nights..) that your TA should have picked up on....instead of their bonus for aiming you to some other Line.

 

Denny

I probably make her sound worse than she actually is. When I say she's a family friend I mean she was my parents TA for years and years, and they got to be quite friendly with each over time. Then when my Dad retired and became a world traveller this TA really got him going places.

 

I think she thinks I'm more like my Dad.

 

Anyways. All is straight now. She knew Celebrity was restrictive but admitted she wasn't aware about the no-smoking balconies.