Princess Cruiser tries Carnival - and likes it!

[karatemom2]

We just returned from our cruise on the Carnival Spirit so I thought I would share my thoughts since we usually cruise with Princess. We were actually very pleasantly surprised and had a really nice time on our Carnival cruise. After years of cruising primarily with Princess, it was nice to try something new.

 

Here are some of the things we really like about Carnival:

 

Connecting cabins - We are a family of four and it was great to be able to book a connecting cabin. The rate we got for two connecting balcony cabins was really good and we enjoyed all the extra space and the extra bathroom. The rooms were large and comfortable and each had a sofa for extra seating which we appreciated.

 

Beds! - The beds were definitely superior to Princess. So much more comfortable and the bedding and pillows were wonderful as well.

 

Theme Trivia - We really enjoy trivia and the Spirit offered lots of trivia options with different themes like 60s, 70s, 80s, movie, music, Broadway, sports, etc. It was lots of fun! There was still general knowledge trivia everday as well so a very good variety. The prizes were a little cheesy with the gold plastic Carnival ship on a stick, but still fun. I would have welcomed a luggage tag or pen though after we got our fifth ship!

 

Karaoke - The Karaoke host on the Spirit was high energy and fun and all ages were able to participate. There was plenty of time for family Karaoke and then adults only after 10 p.m. My daughter is a singer and she was thrilled that they were able to use her own CDs in addition to the playlist.

 

Entertainment - The entertainment was great. Several very funny comedians and a very good hypnotist plus three very good production shows with some good singers and really fantastic dancers.

 

Water Slides - There were two water slides that were really popular with young and old alike, especially the new one - Green Thunder. Too much thrill for me, but my daughter enjoyed them!

 

Casino - My husband really enjoys the casinos onboard and especially playing Craps. Even though he has been part of the Player's Club on Princess from the beginning, we have never received one perk for his gambling time. On just this one cruise with the Carnival Player's benefit we were receiving free cocktails and were sent a nice bottle of wine with our second formal dinner. Also, my 18 year old son was allowed to play in the Casino and had a great time.

 

Sodas - Carnival serves sodas from cans instead of Fountain sodas that we get on Princess. This was nice as they were always fresh and never flat. Cost of the soda cards was comparable to Princess.

 

Warm Chocolate Melting Cake - Carnival's signature dessert and truly as yummy as people have raved it is.

 

Dancing waiters - I know this bugs some people, but it really didn't interfere with our dining experience and I honestly found it fun!

 

Towel Animals - Love those little critters. Got cute ones every night and learned to make several at the towel folding seminar.

 

Mini Golf - Really loved the Mini-Golf course and spent several fun afternoons putting away!

 

Now, here are some things I prefer about Princess:

 

International Cafe - I never really realized how much I loved the International Cafe until it wasn't there. Carnival really has nothing similar and I missed the easy access to quick sandwiches, soups, salads, snacks and desserts. And I really missed the warm cookies!

 

Food - This is not really a criticism of the food on Carnival. It was all good and we never had a bad meal, but if I had to rate them on a scale I would have to give the edge to Princess when it comes to food. Overall I think that the quality and consistency of Princess meals is just a bit better. Carnival really has some great appetizers and cold soups.

 

Buffet - I never thought I would praise the Princess buffet set up because I find it challenging generally, but the buffet set up on the Spirit was crazy. It had different stations that were chaotic and difficult to navigate.

 

Pizza - Princess wins on Pizza, hands down!

 

Afternoon Tea - Carnival afternoon tea was pleasant and I appreciated that we each received our own pot of hot water with a choice of tea. But the selection of sandwiches was poor, the scones not as good as Princess and although there was strawberries and cream, no jams were offered. Plus it was only on the sea days, not everyday. Still it was nice and the piano player was wonderful. Just giving the edge to Princess here as they really do offer a superior afternoon tea.

 

Pools - The pools on the Spirit were nice and the surrounding areas pleasant for sitting, but the fresh water pools and beautiful pool areas on Princess are definitely more inviting.

 

Shops - I found the selection in the shops onboard the Spirit really weak compared to the shops on Princess. The Princess shopping areas are much nicer and better stocked with a wider variety of merchandise.

 

Lounges - I missed the lounges on Princess like Explorers, Wheelhouse and Vista which are much more nicely laid out and utilized. Really the only live music for dancing on the Spirit was in the Dance Club which is not really family friendly. We enjoy the bands, games, dancing and other activities that Princess offers in the lounges. Most of the evening entertainment on the Spirit was either in the theater or comedy club. The Fountain cafe where trivia was usually held was more of an open area adjacent to where people are walking through. It just didn't have the same feel.

 

Teen/Young Adult program - I really thought that perhaps we would find this better on Carnival, but honestly my daughter spent little time in the club and didn't care for the activities they offered. And there were no organized meets or activities for the 18-20 year olds which was disappointing for my son.

 

Final thoughts:

 

Overall the service was comparable on Carnival and the staff and crew were exceptionally friendly and accomodating. Anytime Dining worked really well and we found a great wait team the first evening that we returned to every night. The other passengers were friendly and fun. We did not run into one problem person. Overall the age definitely skewed a bit younger - there were lots of younger families, couples and very young at heart seniors. The mood was always festive and light and I honestly heard a lot less complaining and crabbiness then I sometimes do on Princess. People dressed very well on Elegant Nights and yet on casual nights dressy shorts were allowed in the dining rooms and nobody seemed to mind. They are actually permitted per Carnival dress guidelines. All in all it was a very relaxed and relaxing cruise which seems to be what we all desire in a vacation. There was something fun for everyone!

 

All in all there was a lot to like about Carnival and we would definitely do a Carnival cruise again given the right price and itinerary. Princess is still our favorite choice in cruise lines, but I am glad to know that we have other nice options out there as well. Next stop - HAL for our Alaska cruise!!

[atsasid]

karatemom,

 

 

Thanks for the very detailed comparison. My wife and I have sailed mostly Princess but did sail Carnival in 2009 out of Puerto Rico. My biggest complaint for Carnival was very long buffet lines in the morning. It was just painful at how long the wait was for the buffet. I have been thinking about taking another Carnival cruise and this may help sway me into it.

[sharecruises]

Thanks for a very balanced and good review, much good info there

 

It has been awhile since I was on Princess but they do have the best pools...freshwater...IMHO :)

 

Glad you had a good cruise !

[toledo_cruiser]

We just returned from our cruise on the Carnival Spirit so I thought I would share my thoughts since we usually cruise with Princess. We were actually very pleasantly surprised and had a really nice time on our Carnival cruise. After years of cruising primarily with Princess, it was nice to try something new.

 

Have only cruised the two lines mentioned so I'm always looking to see how others compare the two. I think the OP has given a very fair comparison of the two lines. I was on the Carnival Fantasy in December and the Grand Princess last month. OP has done all the work so I'll just tack on a few comments.

 

Here are some of the things we really like about Carnival:

 

Entertainment - The entertainment was great. Several very funny comedians and a very good hypnotist plus three very good production shows with some good singers and really fantastic dancers.

 

I think Carnival has more "adult" comedy, and I think that appeals more to the younger demographic. Still on our Carnival cruises the comedians usually did two shows, a family show, and then an adult show for those of us young at heart.

 

Dancing waiters - I know this bugs some people, but it really didn't interfere with our dining experience and I honestly found it fun!

 

We had the parade of chefs and waiters on the Grand Princess last month, but only one night. The Carnival dinner show has never bothered me either, and provided lots of fun for my tablemates. Still, I'm reminded of the Heinlein quote about teaching a pig to sing. Stop making those waiters sing. (No, I'm not calling the waiters pigs, just acknowledging that English may be their second or third language) They'd probably ask me to stop if I tried singing in Spanish, or Croatian. :)

 

Towel Animals - Love those little critters. Got cute ones every night and learned to make several at the towel folding seminar.

 

Have to agree, miss the little critters whenever I'm on a Princess ship.

 

Now, here are some things I prefer about Princess:

 

International Cafe - I never really realized how much I loved the International Cafe until it wasn't there. Carnival really has nothing similar and I missed the easy access to quick sandwiches, soups, salads, snacks and desserts. And I really missed the warm cookies!

 

This is a nice touch on the Princess ships that have it. DW and I visited it daily for either the desserts or the Greek salad.

 

Food - This is not really a criticism of the food on Carnival. It was all good and we never had a bad meal, but if I had to rate them on a scale I would have to give the edge to Princess when it comes to food. Overall I think that the quality and consistency of Princess meals is just a bit better. Carnival really has some great appetizers and cold soups.

 

I thought long and hard on this one and I really can't rate one over the other for the food. Where I did think Princess was better was the dining experience itself. The Princess dining rooms tend to be smaller and I think Princess adheres to the dress policy more than Carnival. It may be that the slightly older crowd is more conservative when it comes to dress. I've seen no sideways baseball caps in the dining room on any of my Princess cruises, can't say that about Carnival. Now the sight of such a cap is not going to make me lose my dinner, just makes me wonder why you would wear one to the dining room, much less to the table while you're eating.

 

Pizza - Princess wins on Pizza, hands down!

 

Yes, we liked the new pizza parlors on Princess, but you must eat the pizza there. They wouldn't let us take the pizza to our room. BUT: Carnival has the Mongolian grill and I really like that. I call that an even trade.

 

Lounges - I missed the lounges on Princess like Explorers, Wheelhouse and Vista which are much more nicely laid out and utilized. Really the only live music for dancing on the Spirit was in the Dance Club which is not really family friendly. We enjoy the bands, games, dancing and other activities that Princess offers in the lounges. Most of the evening entertainment on the Spirit was either in the theater or comedy club.

 

Definitely have to agree with the OP here. Princess breaks up the entertainment better with more options. The main theater is smaller however, and we always made it a point to get there a half hour early if you wanted a good seat. Also, they roll up the streets after 11 on Princess. :) Definitely not a late night crowd.

 

Final thoughts:

 

All in all there was a lot to like about Carnival and we would definitely do a Carnival cruise again given the right price and itinerary. Princess is still our favorite choice in cruise lines, but I am glad to know that we have other nice options out there as well. Next stop - HAL for our Alaska cruise!!

 

I have to agree. I would do either in a heartbeat. I have friends who like Carnival only and some who prefer Princess. I don't want to get locked into one line only. Still trying to work in HAL or Celebrity, but we have enough on our plate for this year.

[klmorg]

Thanks for the review and comparisons! Although I have LOVED every Carnival cruise, I am really looking forward to my first Princess (Alaskan) cruise in about 8 weeks, Coral Princess, Voyage of the Glaciers.

[Aplmac]

Now, here are some things I prefer about Princess:

 

Food - This is not really a criticism of the food on Carnival. It was all good and we never had a bad meal,

but if I had to rate them on a scale I would have to give the edge to Princess when it comes to food.

Overall I think that the quality and consistency of Princess meals is just a bit better.

Carnival really has some great appetizers and cold soups.

Pizza - Princess wins on Pizza, hands down!

For some time now I've been saying that Carnival's pizza could use some serious upgrading.

It's "OK" -on a scale of 1 to 10, I give it a 6.5 ...some might say less than 6.5?

 

Perhaps having South-East Asian guys making pizza doesn't make sense? :cool:

Carnival should hire a few Italian American guys for the pizza section!

 

 

Must say I agree with your Food comments above.

We did a Princess cruise, and their food was very nice...as you say, a bit better than Carnival's

(which is nothing to laugh at, don't get me wrong).

 

 

All in all I found your comparisons to be objective and realistic.

Thank you.

.

[karatemom2]

I think Carnival has more "adult" comedy, and I think that appeals more to the younger demographic. Still on our Carnival cruises the comedians usually did two shows, a family show, and then an adult show for those of us young at heart.

 

Yes we really enjoyed the comedy shows and appreciated that they offered both family and adult shows. It was nice that we could sit as a family at the early show with our 12 year old daughter, but my newly minted 18 year old loved that he could go to the adult shows later in the evening. I of course pointed out that they were too mature for me! (Also past my bedtime!) ;)