Princess for a younger couple?

[minabruuke]

My husband and I (26 & 28) went on a Greek Isles cruise with Princess for our Honeymoon last July, we are booked on the Crown princess for March 31. We loved Princess and we choose it because we did not want a party atmosphere, it definitely was exactly what we were looking for.

 

I will say that I did feel that we were treated differently because of our age in the buffet (and only the buffet, the MDR staff was great to us). We'd sit down at a table in the buffet, we'd notice that the servers saw us and we'd watch as they went over and helped the older couples that they saw sit down after us, before helping us. This was the case nearly every day of the 12 night cruise. This did hurt me a little, I'm all for respecting my elders but this was a special occasion for us and we paid full price and should have been treated equally. I did not jump to the conclusion that this was age discrimination and I still try to believe that it wasn't but I tried to find another explanation for why the wait staff always helped the other tables first and for why we usually ended up having to get our own drinks but I really couldn't find on. We were always polite and very appreciative when they did help us. It just didn't make sense. Yet, we still loved Princess and the staff throughout the rest of the ship was spectacular!

[big bro]

we just got off of the Crown on saturday. It is like a floating nursing home...

[beg3yrs]

We started cruising at ages 31 and 30. We're now 55 and 54. Over the years we discovered that if you take the excursions listed as most strenuous, you'll meet the youngest people on the ship in age or attitude. We've met people younger than us who acted like those 20 years our senior and vice-versa.

[Square]

I'm 32 and we are taking our second Princess cruise in a few weeks. I think you'll be fine. I definitely think you should try Princess out. Think about it this way, you might as well try some different lines to see and compare what you really like. Not all ships are the same week to week so there is plenty of variance. Princess might not run commercials about being a "party" line but that doesn't mean there isn't plenty of fun to be had. After trying Carnival twice and Princess, I think we are going to stick with Princess for awhile.

[poppetts]

You will love it !! We have done several and love the mix of ages.

[DeloreanGirl]

Hi WillWorkForCruise121 ,

 

My and hubby's first cruise was on Princess. I was 21 and he was 29. We were one of the youngest ones on the ship, LOL. Truthfully, yes, we were bored. BUT!!!!! It was our fault, not the ship's. We didn't know how cruises worked and we didn't know how much we should participate. It seemed like the daily Patter only mentioned "Cigar Club" and "Scrapbooking" and "Will Making" (I swear!) We also went to Mexico which wasn't thrilling either. We swore we'd never cruise again.

 

BUT THEN!!!!

 

We went on Royal Caribbean and Disney and learned how to cruise the correct way (i.e. make your own fun, join in on activities, choose a better itinerary) and we were hooked. We realized that we were too "shy" on our first cruise.

 

We are cruising with Princess again this year because of the same reason you have chosen them -- the itinerary. Nobody else has a British Isles itinerary like Princess, which is awesome. We're 30 and 38 now, and we'll still be some of the young(er) ones on the ship -- but we don't care. The whole point of cruising is to create your own fun and enjoy the places you are visiting.

 

If you are sold on the specific itinerary that you found and you're not big partiers (Carnival) or have kids in tow (RCCL), then I'm sure you'll have a fantastic time on Princess. It may feel a bit more subdue than the other lines, but you'll be visiting fantastic ports along the way. If I were you, I'd pick Princess over Celebrity.

 

Have fun, and happy cruising!

[DeloreanGirl]

Now we are 29 and 32

 

Wowza, you guys look 10 years younger than 29 and 32, lucky ducks!

[cibaygirls]

I will support the general consesus here as well. I am 37 and my DH is 38; we have been cruising with Princess since we first started dating in 1998. While we do typically tend to be towards the younger end of the spectrum it does not bother us. We do like to party and enjoy some cocktails. Reading this thread got me thinking that I am glad that it is a bit slower and not as "crazy" as other lines.. this way I really get to enjoy the ports and all of the great things to do.

 

I have cruised Carnival, and as others have mentioned really enjoy the sophistication of Princess.. Recently I was thinking of trying another line, but we have become so used to Princess's style I am apprehensive to try another line as I am worried i would be disappointed.

 

Whatever you decide....enjoy!!

[cruisingwith4]

DH and I are 32 and 36, respectively.

 

We have found that on our Princess cruise to Alaska (Aug 2010) and British Isles cruise (June 2011) there weren't too many people our age. It was an older demographic.

 

We also found that there wasn't much nightlife after 9PM. Yes there is Skywalkers but other than an occasional night or two, it stayed pretty dead.

 

We have two young children. So on the nights we were able to go out after dinner, we actually found it pretty quiet, except in the casino - and we're not big gamblers.

 

Regardless, we always have a good time and enjoy our time together no matter where we end up on the ship!

 

From what I have read on this board, it really does depend on the time of year and the itinerary.

 

The Caribbean during regular vacation times will most likely give you a mixed demographic than say the British Isles.

 

There are other cruise lines with a younger demographic, however we cruise with Princess as we tend to have large family vacations (our Caribbean cruise in Dec 2012 is up to 18!) and Princess always seems to have the itineraries we are interested in for the price we want to pay.

[jeromep]

My wife is 29 and I'm 34. We cruised with Princess in July and are hooked. The ships are nicely decorated and classy. Public spaces aren't garish and there is an aire of sophistication about the ship without being stuffy or pretentious. It is a very easy and comfortable place to be.

 

My wife describes Princess as being a good balance in all respects. Cruising still tends to be the vacation of the older, not so much because "old people cruise" but becuase cruising requires a fairly significant amount of vacation time off from work and a healthy amount of cash outlay up-front. As such, it is easier for a retiree to find time to cruise (and money if they have invested properly) than it might be for somebody in their 20s or 30s who is working, building a career and family and neither has the time or unencumbered cash to go cruising. If you can find both, and you are your 20s or 30s, then go for it. Dollar for dollar it is the best vacation value out there. You already know that.

 

But back to our impression of Princess. Even in Alaska, which is considered a cruise that skews older, we found a few folks on board our age group, more that were in their 40s with kids. But the average age on board was probably closer to 50 than 40. That had no negative effect on the cruise, and might have even been a benefit. There were no loud and obnixious groups of roving bands of teens and early 20-somethings on board. Pool areas were always calm and plesant, even when kids were around. Evening entertainment venues were always a pleasure to go to because there weren't obnixious drunk people around, and everyone seemed to be having a good time and behaving. I'd think if the crowd had been younger we might not have had such a great time in the public spaces and lounges

 

Alaska is port intensive, so once the ship has been secured to the dock and cleared, just about the whole population on board leaves. Days were busy with activities in port. My wife and I did our best to explore the ports sufficiently. We didn't try to kill ouselves trying to see everything, it just isn't possible. We still came back to the ship looking for a nice sit down dinner and after that maybe a show or a bit of dancing and by midnight we were shot.

 

Entertainment on board Princess is excellent. They seem to put a lot of effort into their stage shows and the musicians on board are especially good most of the time. Shows do tend to have subjects which are more for the Baby Boomer than the X or Yer, but the shows are well done anyway. For example, the British Invasion show was very much a British pop/rock review starting around the time of the Beatles, but it finished with some more modern British rock music. The show was still great, and being a bit of an audiophile, I was familiar with all the tunes and had a great time.

 

There wasn't a night club or bar we didn't visit on board. My wife and I don't drink (much), but we purchased the Ultimate Kids Package which allows you unlimited pop, milkshakes, smoothies and mocktails. My wife had about 3 nohitos one evening. If they had booze in them it would have probably ran us $30, and I would have had to roll her back to our cabin in a borrowed Scootaround, instead because it was nonalcoholic it was included in the price of the UKP and she admits to not needing the booze. UKP is a great value if you use it a lot.

 

Late night dining is easy. The dining rooms are all open until 10pm (I think , maybe 9pm) and if you really are late dinners it will be very easy to get a nice MDR dinner at 8 and not have to wait for a table or eat with a larger party. I recommend booking Anytime dining so that you aren't stuck with a particular dining time. Traditional (schedueled) dining typically doesn't have a late, late dining option. Horizon Court buffet is open 24/7. I think after 11pm, the HC changes from a buffet to table service, but I can't speak to that because we never dined there that late on our last cruise. Room service on Princess is very good, even if the menu is a little limited. We had late night snacks via room service a couple of nights and couldn't have been happier with the quality of the food and its overall freshness.

 

I highly recommend taking most of your meals in the MDR, and if not there the pizza and burger bars on the Lido deck. The International Cafe is also a great place to pick up a snack or even have lunch (or breakfast, they have great grilled sandwiches). My wife and I don't like eating in the buffet and so we avoid it. There are too many reason why we don't like the buffet, but food quality isn't one of them.

 

There are multiple shows going on at night, pick the kind you want and try to get there early for a seat. Most of the bars and lounges will be pretty full at night depending on the act. We found that Karaoke nights the Explorer's lounge was always full and then after Karaoke was over and the band came on it lightened up a little. We visited Skywalkers almost every night on board for a little while. The DJ was good and the dance floor was always full. Lots of different ages were up there and every one seemed to be having a good time. We would leave Skywalkers around midnight and the party was still going on. I have no clue when it really came to an end. So, the ship is not dead after 8pm, in fact I'd say the fun is just beginning.

 

You will get a more sophisticated crowd on Princess. This is intentional, they are marketing their cruises to a passenger profile that wants to still dress up, even a little, for dinner but wants to relax and not be attached to a schedule. Think of Princess is a classy resort hotel on a ship. It is not a party ship, but everyone seems to be having a good time and chilling out.

 

What you have discovered is the quality of the Princess itineraries. They really are some of the best in the industry, especially their Alaska cruises. If nothing else, choose an itinerary that you like with Princess and book. If the ship and service don't strike you, at least you will be dropped off at ports you want to visit. You aren't goign to go hungry and there is definitly something on board that you will like. Either way, a cruise is what you make of it. If you say to yourself that you are going to enjoy yourself when you get on board, you probably will.

 

I hope you will try Princess.

 

My wife and I have cruised both Carnival and Royal caribbean International. We enjoyed them both very much (RCI even more!). We are younger, I am 29 and my wife 24. I have had some people tell me we would be incredibly bored on a princess cruise. That it will be a cruise full of retirees and everything being shut down by 9:00pm. We really aren't big partiers to be honest. We are usually worn out and ready for bed before midnight but would like some night life to enjoy.

 

Are there late night dining options? Is the ship dead after 8? I'm really not even convinced that this would be a deal breaker for us. Like I said, we aren't big partiers. The itineraries for Princess just look really appealing to us. Espescially the 7 and 10 night southern caribbean trips. (although I wish they remained from san juan next year).

 

We were also looking at some attractive celebrity itineraries, but were told by friends that this would be even worse for anyone young.

 

We really loved our last cruise on Royal Caribbean and the ship (Liberty of the seas) was just amazing! But to go for 7 nights or more on Royal it is for the most part it is more expensive than Celebrity and Princess. Not to mention the itineraries do not seem as exciting.

 

Also, if there was one gripe I have about both Carnival and Royal caribbean (more Carnival) it is the mannerless fellow passengers. So many would get right up in the middle of shows with no regard for anyone around them. They don't even try for formal night (my wife and I enjoy dressing up). Forget about manners with Deck chairs and seat reserving in the shows!

 

I feel that we would enjoy a more formal and sophisticated crowd. Would we get this on lines like princess and Celebrity? I am not trying to start a debate on formal dress or general manners and behavior. I am just stating what we prefer to do, which is conduct ourselves in a dignified manner and it's nice when others around you feel the same way.

 

I will likely post the same question in the Celebrity forum and maybe Royal caribbean as well (we are still considering the oasis)

 

My wife and I have cruised in January the past two years and will likely do the same time next year. However we are considering going on a second cruise this year in September. would that time of year be different? Both are when kids should be back in school.

 

Any help or insight is greatly appreciated!

[jpthomas27]

My wife and I started cruising Princess at 32 and 28, a little older than the two of you but had some of the same conserns. Also like your guys, we weren't and aren't big partiers and are actually turned off by some of the other cruise lines that catered a little more to that crowd. We too, wanted something a little more sophisticated and relaxing rather than party till the sun comes up and then party by the pool all afternoon.

 

We don't regret going with Princess at all! While the average age of the passengers might be slightly higher than on the other lines you mentioned, there are quite a few passengers in our age range and we absolutely love the more relaxed atmosphere. No crazy rock walls, zip lines and wave pools crowding the decks, just plenty of space to relax and enjoy a sea day, that for us, serve as recouperation and preparation for the busy port days.

 

As for some of the other issues you mentioned regarding passengers and thier behavior...well, from reading these boards I think that it's about the same on every line (within the price catagory). It varies from sailing to sailing for the most part, some times you get a good crowd and sometimes not. It's just like being in any other largely poulated public place, only here you have to live with those people for a period of time.

[royalcruz]

I'm in my mid 40s and I prefer Royal Caribbean for nightlife, but Princess and Celebrity are nice too. Carnival is just too wild and noisy. I went on my first Princess cruise in my 20s and it took almost 20 yrs to try it again...it was a 10 night Caribbean cruise. The crowd was quite elderly and the ship was really quiet after dinner. It did feel like a retirement home because there were walkers and wheelchairs everywhere (no disrespect intended to those who need assistive devices). The only people in the nightclub were staff. I do think that you would enjoy a 7 night cruise these days on Princess. They have good entertainers and lots of activities. There are people of all ages. They even have some late night parties a few times during a cruise. I think it is worth a try. Celebrity is interesting. The crowd is about the same age as Princess but...there are less activities/entertainment offered, the experience is more upscale and sophisticated, and people dress up a bit more.

[gelo7]

You will be just fine.

[Raamo]

We took our first princess cruise when my wife and I were both in our late 20s. If you're not a huge party person you can't go wrong with princess. There's always activities going on later in the evening. Even on a 20 day cruise I've not been bored.