Thinking about Princess

[timetogosoon]

So DH and I are going on our first cruise ever in 17 days. Its a Carnival cruise. We haven't had the best of luck with them... Not the worst or anything, but just a little frustrated with some stuff. So anyways, I was wondering, is Princess very good? What do you like about them? I have heard about Carnival, but not a whole lot about princess. We went on their website and watched the videos and honestly were blown away by the presentation that we watched. So what makes Princess special? Obviously it is more expensive in most cases than Carnival but if its a better value I'd be all over that. We will probably end up taking another cruise sometime in 2013

[tucsonlady]

Carnival ships are more of a "party ship". They attract younger people. They also charge for a lot of things that are still free on Princess. Pretty much the only things you are charged extra for on Princess is premium coffee, soft drinks, alcoholic drinks and speciality restaurants. It all depends what you're looking for which one is better.

[shepp]

It all depends what you're looking for which one is better.

 

Yep. When asking questions like yours, OP, it would be helpful if you said "These are the sorts of things we enjoy" before asking "Would we prefer Princess?"

[Kinkacruiser]

So DH and I are going on our first cruise ever in 17 days. Its a Carnival cruise. We haven't had the best of luck with them... Not the worst or anything, but just a little frustrated with some stuff. So anyways, I was wondering, is Princess very good? What do you like about them? I have heard about Carnival, but not a whole lot about princess. We went on their website and watched the videos and honestly were blown away by the presentation that we watched. So what makes Princess special? Obviously it is more expensive in most cases than Carnival but if its a better value I'd be all over that. We will probably end up taking another cruise sometime in 2013

 

Why not book your second cruise with Princess and see the difference. There are more "free" inclusions and the demographics are 40yrs+. I think Princess is classier.

[flamomo]

Think of Princess as being classy, without snobishness!!!

 

I love the pastel decor and the light woods used on all but the "small ships (The Pacific and the Ocean" because it is, IMO, relaxing, calming, and tropical feeling.

 

I love the great service I have always received on Princess ships. The crew and staff seem to enjoy their jobs, and it shown by how anxious they are to please the passengers.

 

I love the accomodations ..... I have sailed in Balcony cabins, Minisuites, once in an oceanview, and recently in an inside cabin ....... all were very comfortable. My favorite type of cabin is a balcony cabin on the Caribe deck ... the balconies on that deck are larger than the balconies on other decks. and are half covered, so we can enjoy sunshine if we wish and have shade and protection from weather if needed.

 

I have ALWAYS found the food to be at the minimum good, more often it's very good, and even sometimes excellent. I have never had a problem finding something I like on the menues and at the buffet.

 

There are plenty of shipboard activities, and some days it is difficult to choose one because there are more than one that interests me at a given time.

 

I enjoy the production shows, some of the comedians, afternoon movies on seadays, and I really enjoy the casinos onboard.

 

Please, Timetogosoon, feel free to ask questions about what you are interested in or have concerns about, and we will try to give you answers.

[Rhitson88]

Princess is much more fancier. Carnival is a bit tacky (personal opinion). Have sailed both so I am a pretty strong opinion. Also feel you have a much MUCH better chance of getting "above and beyond" service on Princess rather than Carnival. Although I have never received bad service on Carnival personally. Food is much better as Carnival has just added hamburgers and meatloaf I believe to their dining menus which I think is just to casual as I have never seen that on the Princess menu. Was booked for the Carnival Dream for next April, but after hearing very poor things from my father about a month ago when he returned from the same exact ship. I lost my deposit and just booked the Grand Princess instead for next March.

 

 

But being your first cruise just make the best out of it. I could honestly care less what line its on although I will most likely book Princess from here on out. But just don't look for the negatives as some people do because you WILL find them. But thats on any ship with any line. Have fun!!!!

[Rhitson88]

Oh!!! And almost forgot about the International Cafe on the Princess ships that Carnival doesn't have which is freakin awesome!!!

[centralcalicruzer]

"They also charge for a lot of things that are still free on Princess"

Just curious, what does Carnival charge for that is free in Princess? We have cruised RCCL several times, Carnival twice, and are booked on our first Princess cruise for January. I pretty much love ANY cruise, so I'm not looking to nitpick, just wanting to know what I can expect free on Princess that I would have had to pay for on Carnival. I know I enjoyed the free espresso drinks after dinner in the MDR on Carnival and know that they are NOT free on Princess. Which is fine with me, I'm usually so full after dinner that I felt guilty getting that cappuccino, but also sometimes felt like I "should" get it since it was free, lol!;)

[bighairtexan]

Don't get me wrong. I'm not a huge Carnival fan, but I must be having brain freeze because I'm not coming up w/ things that are free on Princess but for fee on Carnival. And as you mentioned, the free espresso and cappuccino after dinner on Carnival was something I enjoyed quite a bit.

[Essiesmom]

There are some things that are free on Princess but not on Carnival...But you have to get to platinum to get them. such as internet minutes. However, platinum on Carnival gets you free laundry. I don't care for the rich desserts offered on any line, and my standard dessert is to order hot chocolate instead. Imagine my surprise to discover that between my Alaska cruises last year in June on Diamond, and my Caribbean cruise on Emerald,Princess had started to charge for it. EM

[vickie_bernie]

we have sailed a few times with Carnival but have been Princess fans for awhile. Yes Carnival is one of the mass market lines and they do a good job - but I now find I fit more with Princess.

 

Things I like with Princess

 

Menus are more to my liking - plus no issue with getting as much as I want of shrimp cocktail, escargots, steaks, homecooking dishes on each menu

 

The international cafe, love the free food items all day great for a snack or meal replacement

 

The pub lunches

 

Less waiters asking me to buy a drink

 

Found too many party, frat party type games on Carnvial, Princess has more events that suit my needs

 

Prefer the cabins on Princess, the toilitries, and the cabin steward

 

find Princess loyalty program much better than Carnival

 

my two cents, but I do have tons of pictures on my facebook page or ships, foods, ports if you are interested, link below

[bighairtexan]

Since it's the OP's first cruise ever, s/he won't have to worry about Platinum for a while. I haven't been on Princess in 10 months. So they're charging for hot chocolate in the dining room now?

[KruzPrincess]

You should probably do as another person suggested and try both. There are people who absolutely love Carnival. This is the Princess board, so you're going to find a lot of Princess cheerleaders. I'm one of them. I've cruised Carnival 3 times and would only go again if it was free or for an event like a reunion or theme cruise that I wanted to be on. I think the bigger and newer Carnival ships are nicer. On my first 2 Carnival cruises I thought there was a lot lacking. I still had fun and I was still on a cruise, but it was sub par. My last Carnival cruise a few years back was much nicer. They really improved. By now, it could be even nicer. Some people think Carnival food is better. All that is subjective. I find the main difference is design and ambiance. Carnival is more colorful and Las Vegas-ey. Sometimes there is a loud party crowd, but they are trying to steer away from that reputation. You'll find a lot more children. Louder late night activities on Carnival. Princess is decorated with an Olde World charm. Lovely mosaics. It's more laid back. There's a range of ages, but sometimes the demographics tend to the more mature. Princess has a lot of really good casual dining options like the International Cafe, really good pizza, etc. It's a really nice cruise experience over all.

[timetogosoon]

Well, my husband and I don't drink and we don't party. We are mid twenties, so a bit younger than the usual crowd, but we don't really fit in with the party crowd either. So Princess sounds a lot better in that respect. We can't afford expensive cruises and Princess seems about our prices range (around $600-$700pp) Carnival is a lot cheaper, but I would rather pay a bit more to enjoy a cruise more. I guess I was just wondering what a princess cruise was like. How is there customer service? That was one thing I have had a few issues with carnival that was a bit rough and I kind of felt like I was just a number. Do they treat you like a valued customer, or more just a number? Any experience would be helpful. DH and I still like to act like kids sometimes and we play corny games and we like playing in pools etc. So is there fun stuff like that on board?

[thinfool]

They also charge for a lot of things that are still free on Princess.

 

Some of us are waiting for this list. :cool:

[Canadianknight]

Two cruises with Princess now... and honestly... every staff member made us feel like valued customers, if not more. I have no complaints about service at all.. it's been top-notch! :D

[flamomo]

Not sure what "customer service" you are asking about.

 

I book my cruises directly with Princess, rather than with a travel agent, and have always found the Princess reps to be very helpful, whether it's with making bookings or with answering questions/ resolving issues and concerns.

 

If you are wondering about service onboard ... as I stated in a previous post, I have never had anything but great service from any of the crew/staff on the 11 Princess cruises I have taken.

[Rhitson88]

Well, my husband and I don't drink and we don't party. We are mid twenties, so a bit younger than the usual crowd, but we don't really fit in with the party crowd either. So Princess sounds a lot better in that respect. We can't afford expensive cruises and Princess seems about our prices range (around $600-$700pp) Carnival is a lot cheaper, but I would rather pay a bit more to enjoy a cruise more. I guess I was just wondering what a princess cruise was like. How is there customer service? That was one thing I have had a few issues with carnival that was a bit rough and I kind of felt like I was just a number. Do they treat you like a valued customer, or more just a number? Any experience would be helpful. DH and I still like to act like kids sometimes and we play corny games and we like playing in pools etc. So is there fun stuff like that on board?

 

 

 

 

Princess customer service is the best I have seen anywhere (not just a cruise). But you should expect GREAT customer service when dishing out this kind of money and thats exactly what you get on Princess. Theres probably a 99.9% chance you will not be disappointed with their service. Also, you mentioned age. Me and my wife are 23 and 24, and we love the laid back experience on Princess. To much for us on Carnival that just seems like you can do on land such as clubs, partys, getting wasted. Just not for us.

[FawnRiver]

If you liked the videos, then you'll like Princess. DH and I were watching them the other night - we needed a fix since our next cruise is still 3 months away. The videos are staged, of course but not deceptive.

 

There is lots to do onboard, trivia games, scholarship at sea classes, bingo (of course), etc. That's one thing we love, do as much as you want or as little. Its just a little more reserved, but you can still be silly if you want (especially at sailaways :p).

 

I keep looking at Carnival, but I haven't been able to bring myself to book with them. I think we've been spoiled by Princess.

[dclark]

CCL attracts a different type of cruiser. Go to the CCL board and you'll find lots of threads about booze smuggling, people wondering if they can board the ship with an outstanding arrest warrant, paying cash for sail and sign accounts, people panicking because they don't have enough $ for final payment, large number of tatted out cruisers, etc.

According to the FBI site, CCL ships have more acts of violence than all other lines combined last year. When you hear of a someone getting busted for drug smuggling it is usually CCL, when the LA Times did an expose on welfare abuse, CCL was the only line where people used their welfare cards to make withdrawls from the casino atm. If you think you fit in with this demographic, book a CCL cruise!

CCL knows who their base is and is making changes to appeal to them, like eliminating guest entertainers and replacing them with "passenger participation" nonsense. CCL knows that their average cruiser rather have macoroni and cheese than a good piece of fish and is altering its menu accordingly.

I started sailing CCL back in '98 and am platinum, but after out 8 day cruise on the Freedom last summer, it'll be a long time before we go back to CCL!

[serene56]

CCL attracts a different type of cruiser. Go to the CCL board and you'll find lots of threads about booze smuggling, people wondering if they can board the ship with an outstanding arrest warrant, paying cash for sail and sign accounts, people panicking because they don't have enough $ for final payment, large number of tatted out cruisers, etc.

According to the FBI site, CCL ships have more acts of violence than all other lines combined last year. When you hear of a someone getting busted for drug smuggling it is usually CCL, when the LA Times did an expose on welfare abuse, CCL was the only line where people used their welfare cards to make withdrawls from the casino atm. If you think you fit in with this demographic, book a CCL cruise!

CCL knows who their base is and is making changes to appeal to them, like eliminating guest entertainers and replacing them with "passenger participation" nonsense. CCL knows that their average cruiser rather have macoroni and cheese than a good piece of fish and is altering its menu accordingly.

I started sailing CCL back in '98 and am platinum, but after out 8 day cruise on the Freedom last summer, it'll be a long time before we go back to CCL!

 

 

 

you have got to be kidding me?

 

We are platinum- i have none of what you just described in that post. But I also do not go cruising during the "season"

 

and princess does have sailings that are not good either-- what about that Brownie episode?

 

anyways== a cruise is what you make it to be. If you go looking for it you will find it

[Whirlybird]

Hi,

 

My DW and I discovered cruising in 1998 and have been on 20+ cruises. We tried RCCL twice and CCL once. I then discovered Princess. I am now early 50s and DW mid 40s. We like to drink but are not partiers so the Princess vibe really fits us. In general, it just a very casual and friendly experience, but you will find an older average age on Princess. I personally like older folks, they have a lot of interesting things to talk about and tend to be unobtrusive when traveling. The things I like about Princess vs the other lines:

 

No strong sales pitch on mixed drinks, on the first day they usually will push their wine tasting event, but its really the only thing that is pushed hard on Princess. But if you don't drink, just say so and they will leave you alone. On other cruise lines, I felt heavily pressured throughout the cruise to purchase mixed drinks.

 

Great broadway shows in the evenings usually every other day. Decent entertainment otherwise, but note music is targeted to an older demographic. I grew up in the 1960s so it appeals to me. The venues are upscale and comfortable but can be very crowded so you may want to arrive early for the first run of the big shows. They usually repeat the big shows at least once.

 

Usually show recent movies on the ship in a large venue each afternoon and most Princess ships also have an outdoor movie theater in one of the Lido deck pool areas and show movies almost continuously there.

 

Depending on the itinerary, there is at least one naturalist/historian that will give several talks about the various ports and geographic area being visited.

 

Food is very good and they have a number of very casual quick type venues or dining in a large upscale dining room with table service. This is called the main dining room (MDR). In my opinion, dining in the MDR sets Princess apart from RCCL, CCL and Celebrity. I would say the type of food served has gone down in the last several years, but its still very tasty and well presented. In the early 2000s, on a 7 day cruise, you would have caviar available as an appetizer at least one evening in the main dining room. But I haven't seen that in several years. Also, Princess has a couple of specialty restaurants, these cost $20 pp extra, but in my opinion is well worth the additional cost. I used to be a chef in a steakhouse, the beef on Princess, even in the MDR where there is no extra cost, is very good. Their prime rib is excellent.

 

One of my Princess favorites, high tea is served in the MDR every afternoon. This is white gloved formal tea service, but the pax can wear shorts and flip flops. I've had high tea at the Ritz Carlton many times, and Princess comes very close in quality, presentation and service here for free. Its a very special experience not found on the other lines.

 

Princess has a very nice excercise facility and spa and the service here is excellent. I usually get a couple of massages when I cruise and have had the best of my life on Princess. Sometimes they have specials that are very reasonable. Last cruise I got a 50 minute hot bamboo massage that was out of this world for $80 (half price). I was so impressed I tipped the masseuse $30!

 

I can go on extolling the virtues of Princess but I'm running out of space.

 

On our one CCL cruise, we purchased a two cabins, one for DW, my 20 year old son and myself. The other for my son's four college friends. My son and his friends arrived at the port and boarded the ship before DW and I got there. The CCL staff rounded them up and put them in a holding cell (basically jail) until we boarded, this was after they were harshly questioned by security. These are very good kids, all except one was a student at Georgia Tech at the time. They drink a little but are certainly not wild or troublesome. One of them became a police officer. I was appalled at how CCL treated them like criminals for absolutely no good reason. Probably would not go back on CCL.

[Cruisin' Chick]

So DH and I are going on our first cruise ever in 17 days. Its a Carnival cruise. We haven't had the best of luck with them... Not the worst or anything, but just a little frustrated with some stuff. So anyways, I was wondering, is Princess very good? What do you like about them? I have heard about Carnival, but not a whole lot about princess. We went on their website and watched the videos and honestly were blown away by the presentation that we watched. So what makes Princess special? Obviously it is more expensive in most cases than Carnival but if its a better value I'd be all over that. We will probably end up taking another cruise sometime in 2013

 

Well, my husband and I don't drink and we don't party. We are mid twenties, so a bit younger than the usual crowd, but we don't really fit in with the party crowd either. So Princess sounds a lot better in that respect. We can't afford expensive cruises and Princess seems about our prices range (around $600-$700pp) Carnival is a lot cheaper, but I would rather pay a bit more to enjoy a cruise more. I guess I was just wondering what a princess cruise was like. How is there customer service? That was one thing I have had a few issues with carnival that was a bit rough and I kind of felt like I was just a number. Do they treat you like a valued customer, or more just a number? Any experience would be helpful. DH and I still like to act like kids sometimes and we play corny games and we like playing in pools etc. So is there fun stuff like that on board?

 

Just finding the items in red to be on the vague side. Do you mean you had specific questions, called Carnival and didn't like the answers or couldn't get the answers? What were these issues? Do you ask on the Carnival forum for their thoughts? Just trying to give Carnival a little leeway.

 

BTW probably any 800 line at a cruiseline may be a bit frustrating. Many of the CSRs have never been on a cruise and often will guess at an answer (my sister once was working for a computer company as a temp and would sense the frustration from some callers so she would guess at answers).

[hubofhockey]

The diffference are much more than what is free on one and not on another. Princess is more of an upscale experience (ships are more upscale too) and has appeal to middle age to older crowds. Fresh water pools are bigger and there are more of them and pool areas are spread out.

 

Carnival has lower prices and larger cabins. Entertainment is focused on cruise director and other passsengers. Carnival has a younger crowd which includes many families.

 

Each line has a different feel to me. On Princess, there is a greater sense of relaxation and it's harder to relax on Carnival as main areas get very congested. But Carnival has a certain energy going on. But that energy includes greater use of loudspeakers and sell, sell, sell by cruise directors who are in your face all of the time.

 

It all depends on what you are looking for.

[caribill]

CCL attracts a different type of cruiser. Go to the CCL board and you'll find lots of threads about booze smuggling, .... paying cash for sail and sign accounts....

 

No, never see this type threads on the Princess board.