Why Princess?

[Bimmer09]

My first time on the Princess Board so I'll pose an easy question- Why Princess? I mean that at one time Princess was just a name , just another Cruise Line vying for your business...you had no experience with them, but something made you feel like they would be a "good fit" so you took the plunge and hopefully were happy with your choice.

 

I am taking my first Princess and first Alaska cruise August 20 this year from Whittier. When my traveling companion said "let's cruise Alaska!" I began to research the cruise line offerings. There are some cruise lines I didn't consider even for a moment-NCL and Carnival. The Joe Farcus interiors are horrific and a jumble of half baked ideas and clashing colors. Also I took a couple of Carnival cruises in the late 80's and found the staff somewhat surly compared to Royal Caribbean. I cruised with RCCL as it then was 44 times in the Caribbean- as a musician on board- and observed the warm interaction (back then at least) between staff and passengers. The staff was happy , the ship was well run. It was the Song of Norway. It was very bare-bones by today's vessels. I ate and mingled with the passengers and I didn't hear many complaints.

 

So I looked at RCI (Rhapsody) and HAL

first. The Royal ships are indeed beautiful and the decor crisp and bright. The one thing I don't like is the use of the top deck for sporting activities and "Fun"

I really appreciate a ship that is more "Ship-like " if that makes sense...clean lines, no industrial tubing carrying a screaming kid in a gusher of water over my head or a mountaineer falling on that same head.

HAL (Westerdam) was in contention-restrained interior architecture, decent reputation. It seems they do a lot of things well without necessarily excelling (correct me if I am wrong). Then came Princess and I was focused on an Inside Passage itinerary that meant the Golden or the Sapphire.

 

Photos of Princess ships always caught my eye, especially those with Skywalkers-an innovation if ever there was one. I didn't want to dance in it (apparently no one else did either) but it looked like the highest camera tripod a man could wish for and a quiet place to read during the day. Another handsome architectural device I liked was the covered crew deck near the bow. The stepped balconies (Dolphin deck) while not everyone's cup of tea for reasons of exposure were certainly innovative. Then I read about 24 hour buffets and a lack of rock-climbing opportunities

and-holy smokes!- string quartets playing in a beautiful classy-looking atrium. I worked my way through the Princess site, day after day and based on research and feedback from my TC (Traveling Companion) decided to go to a TA and book us an Inside Passage cruise on the Golden!

 

However, 5 minutes before we left to go do it, I wondered-What if?- What if we flew to Anchorage and did the Southbound Glacier tour instead? Checked the airfare difference from Chicago...negligable. Found a tub called the Coral Princess. Darn-it! No Skywalkers!

Did it at least have MUTS? Check! During refit.

UBD? Check!

24 hr Horizon Court? Check!

Specialty restaurants? Check!

UST? Check?

Naturalist on board for Glacier Bay? Check!

Laundry room? Check!

Churchill lounge? Check!

Fish and Chips for lunch? Check!

The Sanctuary?Check!

Amazing excursion choices in each port? Check!

Embarcation at a port exclusive to Princess? Check!

Hairiest back and loudest belcher contests by the pool? -

Apparently not, but by now I was determined to book the Coral. Those who had taken the plunge and gone before gave it a "thumbs-up" in reviews.

 

And I thank you all.

 

What swayed you?

 

Norris in Chicago

No icons (yet)

No cruise countdown except the one in my head

[geocruiser]

You will love Princess and Alaska.

 

Maria

[Toto2Kansas]

Our first Princess cruise was a very long time ago. We wanted to visit Tahiti, and at that time, they were the only cruise line offering a cruise from Hawaii to Tahiti (that we could find). That first cruise was a nitemare (ship wise) as it was on a very old ship with lots of problems. BUT, Princess compensated us for certain problems we had onboard, so we decided to give it one more try on a newer ship, and we chose to sail to Alaska on the Regal Princess. We found that first cruise, where we had problems, was just a fluke............as they had a much better product to offer than what we saw the first time.

We have sailed other cruise lines since then, but always came back to princess. Since we began cruising with Princess, they have built newer and nicer ships, they have some great itinerarys, and we have found the crew onboard to be delightful every time. The food is better than we have found on other cruise lines also.

For the last 9 or 10 years, we have sailed on Princess exclusively........Oh, did I also mention they have the best past passenger program around?

[Bimmer09]

I forgot this gem...cabin is ready when you board!!! Yippee!

No need to drag that steamer trunk full of harpoons (for the whales) through the Windjammer for an hour.

[Woobstr112G]

I've been staying with Princess due to the itineraries and the loyalty program.....:):):)

 

Bob

[NJRonbo]

Good replies, and mine will be similar.

 

Started with Royal Caribbean. Really dug their promenade that mimic'd a Main Street lined with shops. There was even a parade down that promenade while onboard. Also loved Johnny Rockets, which initially, was free.

 

Took a chance cruising with Princess a few years ago. Hated the fact I was changing cruise lines. After all, I had sailed many a cruise with RCI and I was happy.

 

First cruise aboard Princess I noticed something different...

 

First and foremost, the pools. RCI has salt pools and I hate swimming in them. Princess has freshwater pools.

 

Food. Like the food better on Princess, and I usually only eat at the buffet so that is saying much.

 

Sanctuary. I enjoy spending my week in Sanctuary since I never get off the ship.

 

Finally, the loyalty program. That is the clincher. I sail solo so each cruise counts as 2 towards moving up the loyalty ladder.

 

And though I may nitpick on this forum about the little things here and there that one can experience on any cruise, I am with Princess till the end of days.

[Fuzzyape]

My first cruise was on Princess, DW insisted we take a cruise and it turned out to be our honeymoon cruise.

 

I had nothing to compare to, and had lots of fun. It was aboard the Dawn, the staff was great. At the dining room, after dinner each night I would order a snifter of cognac. By the second night our server would ask if I wanted the 'usual'.

 

Then we did a couple of other Princess cruises. Only 1 seemed to not be as good as we had expected, but the very next one (I think aboard the Emerald) was fantastic. Again attention to detail by the staff.

 

Our room steward was great (they all were), our servers during our anytime dining were fantastic. Each night they brought DW a plate of fruit with her desert, since she liked the first night fruit.

 

Then to top it off, we were spending an extra day in FL, when we got off the ship I checked our transfers and noticed that our transfer showed us going to Ft Lauderdale. Called the office, because we were flying out of Miami. The lady there said it would be fine, but agreed to drop another voucher off at our hotel on her way home from the office that night.

 

We went to dinner, upon our return, we checked with the front desk. The voucher had been dropped off and the hotel placed it in our room.

 

It's that attention to the little things that keep me coming back to Princess. Can't wait for Hawaii!

 

Have fun on your Alaskan cruise. You will love it!

[JustinPlusLauren]

Originally, we tried Princess because it was a good price and a good itinerary. Also, my parents had sailed with Princess for their honeymoon before I was born (back in the '70s!) so I had heard of the cruise line and they had good things to say about it.

 

After cruising with Princess, we will always cruise with Princess since we've always had such an amazing time! For us, it is the loyalty program, the delicious food, the anytime dining is a big deal for us since we like to get a table for 2 and like to eat whenever we like depending on how we feel that particular day... the fresh-water pools, the friendly staff, and the itineraries. There are many more reasons that I can't think of....but we will always stick with Princess I think! :)

[willysgrandma]

We first sailed on the Crown Princess and loved the ship, the food, the staff and even better, their loyalty program. In our opinion, Princess Loyalty program is the best one out there.

 

Just got off the Golden and Alaska is a wonderful cruise, one of the best I ever went on. I can only suggest two things:

 

1. Don't skimp on excursions. We blew the budget and booked everything we wanted, regardless of cost and were very happy with everything we chose.

 

2. Make sure you have a balcony. We saw loads of whales, dolphins, seals and otters right from our balcony. Some of our friends took inside cabins and never saw a whale.

[Bimmer09]

Excursion -wise I have booked the following...any comments and tidbits appreciated..

 

White Pass Railway and kayaking tour, Bennett Lake in Skagway

 

Era Helicopter landing on glacier then Harv n Marv whaling tour (all you can eat blubber promised) in Juneau

 

Misty Fjords floatplane (Island Wings) with opportunity to stand on dry land (pontoons be damned!) in Ketchikan.

 

Pardon my drool,

Norris

[Bimmer09]

Good advice, well heeded on the balcony- we are in C210, mini suite on Caribe deck, port side.

 

Norris

[Cruisin' Chick]

In December, we took our fourth Princess cruise (after several on Carnival), and my family feels Princess is a great fit for us. Two cruises ago, we were on the Island, which is the sister ship to the Coral, and from five years on this site, it seems the Island and Coral have many fans here.

 

What I like about Princess:

1) a mini fridge in every cabin

 

2) self service laundries on almost every passenger deck (even though there's been threads lately here about them getting closed during time in Alaska). We try to keep our luggage down by doing laundry on any cruise 7 days or longer, and because of an allergy to detergent by one family member, want to avoid using the ship's laundry service

 

3) 24 hour buffet (most of the ships, it's the Horizon Court). There are two entrances and two sides, and when the items are being switched out for the next meal time (breakfast to lunch, etc.), the other side is still open.

 

4) the fact that you can go to your cabin upon boarding. Who wants to lug your carryons around.

 

5) not a whole lot of PA announcements (compared to Carnival)

 

6) a wide range of activities: if you're not into pool games (which don't seem to be on the level of Carnival), there's so many other things to do if you wish.

 

7) traditional dining. Yes, there's anytime dining, but unless you book too late (like we did for our December cruise), you can enjoy t.d. After having anytime, I can't see this whole fuss about Freestyle on NCL.

 

8) you can bring on soft drinks and water (also wine). RC doesn't allow you to bring any beverages. I'm not into Coke products, so I'll add Mountain Dew to the plastic crate we bring (hubby puts in the wine).

[mycruz]

I have sailed on the Coral twice! The first time to Alaska and the second time to Panama Canal. You will love the ship and I'm pretty sure you won't be disappointed about Skywalkers. The Coral has some things that the bigger ships don't have so enjoy it!

 

Our favorite excursions to Alaska were the White Pass Railroad and the Taku Lodge Salmon Bake. I don't know if they sitll have it, was a great trip on a plane from Juneau to the lodge, very memorable experience flying over the glaciers.

[RebelSoul]

My first Princess cruise way back in 1992 on the original Crown Princess when I was barely out of my teens. My sister had switched to a new bank and for their grand opening they had a drawing for new customers for a Caribbean cruise. She won and guess who got to go with her on the cruise?! Right off the bat, I was impressed with Princess. Originally we were booked in an inside room. Then we got upgraded by Princess to a OV. When we got to the pier, we found out we got bumped up again to a mid-ship balcony. I had such a blast. (I was only 20, but back then the drinking age on the ships was 18...big bar bill on that cruise!) Everything was great, the service, the food, the shore excursions, the staff. Quite a few things have changed since back then, but I think they'll all for the better. (Although I do miss the skeet shooting off the back of the ship!)

 

In 1994, I took a short cruise on Carnival Fantasy. Apples to oranges as far as I am concerned. While it wasn't a terrible cruise, I was glad it was only 4 days. I think Princess had set the bar too high. Just felt like Carnival wasn't for me. Since then I have sailed exclusively on Princess. Can't beat their loyalty program. I just turned Elite and can't wait to start using those perks for our December cruise. (It was my goal to get to Elite before I turn 40. Glad I made it because that's coming soon.)

 

While I am finally venturing out next spring and sailing on another cruise line, it's solely for the itinerary. DH and I wanted a cruise that stays overnight in Bermuda. While at some point I am game to try other lines, Princess will always be my #1 choice. DH and I chose to get married on the Crown back in 2006 in fact.

 

There are so many reasons why we sail on Princess and these are just a few:

 

• Lots of choices for itineraries
  
• Always something interesting to do from after breakfast until the wee hours (Trivia, game shows, ceramics, how-to classes, production shows, comedians, music, etc, etc, etc)
  
• The fresh water pools (don't like the salt water pools!)
  
• The buffet food is pretty good, open 24 hours
  
• Choice of traditional or any time dining (last two cruises we did any time, next cruise we chose TD...love the CHOICE!)
  
• The food quality is very good to great
  
• Can book Future Cruise Credits while on board ($100 deposit, good for four years, get OBC...amount varies on the category cabin booked.)
  
• Self-serve laundry
  
• I think for the most part Princess has embarkation and debarkation down to a science
  
• The lovely thermal suite. I could spend a whole cruise there on the Grand class ships.
  
• The staff! In 15 cruises, I have close to zero complaints about any staff. When DH and I were married on the Crown, the staff made us feel like royalty the whole cruise.
  
• Mini-fridge in the cabin & bringing your own drinks on board (we bring wine and soda)
  
• The International Cafe!
  
• MUTS at night
  
• No one does Alaska like Princess! Every TA I have ever used has said the same thing.
  
• The loyalty perks!
  

I think you will not be disappointed with Princess, especially an Alaskan cruise. Have fun and please write a review upon your return.

[Pam in CA]

Norris, you've hit on many of the good points about Princess and you are to be commended. Good for you for doing your research and deciding what's important to you.

 

In the early 80s, my former MIL loved going on Royal Caribbean cruises in the Caribbean and a couple of times, she wanted company so my ex- and I would go along with my BIL and SIL (on my husband's side.) I enjoyed cruising but life and work intervened so it was quite a few years before I had the time and finances to be able to cruise again. My sister and her husband cruised often on Princess with a group of friends so when I started cruising again, I joined them. I've cruised often on Princess ever since on a wide variety of ships and itineraries.

 

I stay with Princess for most of my cruises because of the loyalty program, itineraries and "comfort." I also cruise HAL because they have had better itineraries and/or better-sized ships for the itinerary I want to take. They aren't Princess and IMHO the food and service isn't nearly as good but for some itineraries, it was worth it.

[Shogun]

Why Princess

 

On my last cruise head waiter was informed we would not be going to diner because I had hurt myself, what he did was send a menu to my cabin, took my order had a waiter bring it to me and then return with desert, he then visited my table the following night to see how I was.

 

With this level of service and care why even look anywhere else.

 

yours Shogun

[Bimmer09]

Thanks for the great responses, everyone. I am even more encouraged in having selected Princess for my first cruise in over 20 years. It will be my Traveling Companion's first cruise ever so she has little idea of what awaits. She's been on a couple of car ferries with me in Canada and Seattle but your replies hint that the Coral Princess might surpass that experience....(LOL)

 

On a side-note, I ended up booking everything myself as the TA we chose

originally booked us into a mini that had no balcony (C204) and luckily I caught it. When I called the TA that day I was told there were no port side minis available so I went onto Princess myself and having Googled and found that terrific site where a cruiser has lovingly researched Princess balconies I typed in C210 (plus one other for insurance) and both showed up as available. I phoned Princess and slapped down a deposit and thanked my TA for their efforts.

 

I booked a flight to Anchorage, arriving the day before sailing and a room at the Captain Cook Hotel, plus a sunset dinner reservation. We are waitlisted for the train to Whittier but are booked on the coach.

After the cruise we are decompressing in the Pan Pacific hotel in Vancouver, a city we are both familiar with.

 

I booked some excursions through Princess and some directly with Harv n Marv (thanks to posts on this board) as I wanted us to be on a small boat

where my harpoon arm still had room to get in a good shot. I am packing a very large frying pan.

 

For Misty Fjords I didn't want the water landing where you have to stand on the pontoons so I booked direct with Island Wings and got a tour that let's the passengers off onto terra firma. I know I am setting myself up as bear-bait but at least I will get a good steady shot of one as it mauls me and claws my ass.

 

There will no doubt be a review late August.

 

Thanks again, each of you. I feel I am in very good company.

 

Norris in Chicago

[isujim]

I think you will totally enjoy your Princess experience.

 

In our case my parents paid for all the kids and grandkids to go on the RC Nordic Prince almost 25 years ago. Our first cruise and we thought it was wonderful......(of course it was our first cruise)......we couldn't imagine anything better, so we stayed with RC for the next 20 years.

 

Then we asked ourselves what IF there is something out there better? So we have since tried Celebrity, HAL and Princess.

 

I think most cruisers stay with what they start with..........we just decided to branch out and see what else was out there. We have throughly enjoyed our Princess experiences so far and have two more cruises booked with them.

 

Enjoy your cruise.........I'm sure you will enjoy it.

[capnjack]

On a side-note, I ended up booking everything myself as the TA we chose

originally booked us into a mini that had no balcony (C204) and luckily I caught it. When I called the TA that day I was told there were no port side minis available so I went onto Princess myself and having Googled and found that terrific site where a cruiser has lovingly researched Princess balconies I typed in C210 (plus one other for insurance) and both showed up as available. I phoned Princess and slapped down a deposit and thanked my TA for their efforts.

 

Norris in Chicago

 

Now that you have the cabin you want by booking it it through Princess you should look around for a good discount TA and transfer the booking. Princess allows TA's to discount the fares and you can save significant $$$ over the Princess fare.

[juniper berries]

The reason I like princess is you can get all the information that you need on the web site. The temptures for the different ports is posted and this way you can figure out what type of clothing to bring so you donot freeze by wearing clothes for the carrabian in Alaska and around the British Iles as an example.

Hope you have a great trip Alaska is beautful. If you get a chance go salomon fishing. we caught salomon and had it cooked for us for supper by the ship. Alos get the guide book with the map it is fun to follow along to see where you are. We were able to get our signed by the captain. This was a few years ago. I have not seen any one mention it recently so I am not sure if they still do it.

Enjoy your cruise

[likeashrek]

What can I say more than what all the other posters said.

 

My wife and I had cruised RCCL for many years. But we needed a change, so we booked a 9 nighter on the Caribbean Princess. Well...We are hooked now!!! We have found the service more superior to RCCL. Food great to excellent.. Entertainment.. terrific!!

 

Now that we have achieved Elite status, we are now counting down the days (74 to be exact) when we make our first foray to Europe on the Star Princess.

 

It's great being retired!!!!!!!

[ski and cruise]

I've sailed on Celebrity,Azamara,HAL, and many small lines,now extinct. Princess has the best pizza, by far. This is because they have real pizza

ovens and make their pizzas from scratch. I'm a native New Yorker and we

have the best pizza in the world!

[Lance1224]

We like the loyalty program!!! The Captain Cook Hotel in Anchorage is very nice and within walking distance of interesting sites.:)

[Crowsie]

Itinerary. Itinerary. Itinerary.

 

We started with the exotics and just kept going. We finally did our first Caribbean cruise just this spring. We immediately rebooked with Princess because of the loyalty program.

 

Fresh water pools are nice, too.

[GweninTX]

Good advice, well heeded on the balcony- we are in C210, mini suite on Caribe deck, port side.

 

Norris

 

Hi Norris! We too are on the Coral Southbound on August 20! Please come join our Roll Call and meet the others on our cruise! I hope to organize a meet and greet during our cruise! There are several of us on the Caribe Deck to keep you company! We are in Balcony C624! Hope to see you in our roll call! :D