Carribean Princess or Carnival?

[ggg196078]

Hi, I've been on many Carnival, Royal and Norwegian cruises, but thinking of giving Caribbean Princess a try,

Why Should I? Why Not? The pros and cons ? Any info on your experience will help. Thank you.

[Pam in CA]

Where to start? What have you liked about your previous cruises, what haven't you liked? Your question is a bit too open-ended and difficult to answer since no matter which cruise line or ship, passengers on the same ship will have a different opinion about the cruise.

[DebJ14]

Having been on the Caribbean Princess 7 months ago and Carnival Breeze 3 months ago I say go with the Caribbean Princess. The ship is beautiful and our service was excellent on Carnival.

 

We are Diamond with Carnival, but our next 3 cruises already booked are on Royal Caribbean and Princess.

Edited July 21, 2014 by DebJ14

[Disneycruisers]

Having been on the Caribbean Princess 7 months ago and Carnival Breeze 3 months ago I say go with the Caribbean Princess. The ship is beautiful and our service was excellent on Carnival.

 

We are Diamond with Carnival, but our next 3 cruises already booked are on Royal Caribbean and Princess.

 

Do you like the food better on Carnival or Princess?

 

Our family is sailing Princess for the first time in October, and we really enjoy the MDRs on Carnival. (I've read wonderful things about the food on Princess too.)

[OCruisers]

Do you like the food better on Carnival or Princess?

 

Our family is sailing Princess for the first time in October, and we really enjoy the MDRs on Carnival. (I've read wonderful things about the food on Princess too.)

 

Food is so very subjective. :rolleyes:

We much prefer the MDR food on Princess vs. Carnival. For steaks do suggest going to a Specialty Restaurant on both lines.

LuLu

[geoherb]

I like the food better on Princess. It was also easier to get special requests than on our Carnival cruise.

[caribill]

Having been on the Caribbean Princess 7 months ago and Carnival Breeze 3 months ago I say go with the Caribbean Princess. The ship is beautiful and our service was excellent on Carnival.

 

 

 

Do I understand you correctly?

 

The Caribbean Princess was beautiful but you prefer the excellent service on Carnival?

[martylouie]

Hi, I've been on many Carnival, Royal and Norwegian cruises, but thinking of giving Caribbean Princess a try,

Why Should I? Why Not? The pros and cons ? Any info on your experience will help. Thank you.

The only and I repeat only thing that I found that was better on Carnival was the warm chocolate melting cake. That is unless you like the Hairy Chest contest.:rolleyes:

[custompcsys]

Maybe it was the wrong experience and not a fair comparison, but my one and only experience on Carnival was a 4 night Caribbean cruise out of Miami, which i did because I just couldn't pass up the price. That was enough to let me know that the Carnival experience wasn't for me. For me, there would be no choice to make :)

[trixiegal]

I used to only sail RCCL and Disney but I tried one of Carnival's newer ships last summer and my family had a blast. Dream and Breeze are fantastic ships that are fun for families and younger couples or singles. The decor was subtle but fancy enough to feel like we were staying in a really nice Marriott or Hilton, whereas I would equate what I've heard about Princess to a Ritz Carlton.

 

I don't think I'd ever go on one of the older Carnival ships because I don't like gaudy or overly glitzy decor even when I'm in Vegas.

 

I'm excited to see the differences on my first Princess cruise in September.

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Forums

[dorisis]

Just off the Carnival Legend. The food and service were fine. The MDR was always noisy and tables and booths very close together. Waiters singing and dancing. That is really not what we want on a cruise, so we prefer Princess. We will be back on Caribbean Princess for 2 weeks in September.

 

Also suites on Princess are 1000% better than on Carnival although standard cabins are a bit larger on Carnival.

[Bruin Steve]

Hi, I've been on many Carnival, Royal and Norwegian cruises, but thinking of giving Caribbean Princess a try,

Why Should I? Why Not? The pros and cons ? Any info on your experience will help. Thank you.

 

Okay...You've been on lots of Carnival and NCL cruises and don't seem to have a problem with them...

 

I "sort of" understand it...There is a cruise line for everybody...We all have different criteria, different standards and different expectations...

 

For ME, it is a "no-brainer"...

I have cruised 35+ times on eight different cruise lines (including Carnival four times)...

My wife absolutely refuses to go back to Carnival...

 

And, for me, as I said, it's a no-brainer...I will cruise with Princess with no reservation...but will only go on Carnival if my hand is forced...(My wife says that Carnival can offer her a free cruise and she won't go!)...

 

Here's the deal: This is how I look at cruising...My top criteria is "crowding"--or lack thereof. It is an objective measurement...You can guage it using passenger to space ratios (and adjust for the number of 3rd and 4th berths typically sold--which is high on Carnival). It affects every part of the cruise--including service, lines and waits, getting seats at shows, lounges and at the pool deck and so on...

 

Carnival is, quite simply, the worst in the business...They cram more passengers onto fewer gross tonnage than everyone else...(They also cut a number of other corners to keep their costs low and profits high)...

 

Princess is less densely packed (though they could have used larger showrooms on most of their ships)...The service is better, the food is higher quality (of course, taste in food is highly subjective...and, frankly, I've enjoyed many of my meals on Carnival...but, statistically, Carnival spends less per passenger on food--or so I've read)...

 

Also, because of their marketing, Carnival attracts people looking to have "Fun"--whatever that is--at the lowest possible cost...I won't get much further on this subject as it seems to infuriate most Carnival fans--just take it for what it is...

 

Princess aims at a slightly classier crowd...and repeat, loyal customers who expect a little more...The Princess ships are also more tastefully decorated...

 

And, BTW, Princess isn't even my favorite cruise line...I'd rate them below Celebrity and Oceania (for the same reasons I rate Princess above Carnival and NCL) and even Royal Caribbean (depending on various considerations)...

 

But, overall, when you cruise Princess after cruising a lot on Carnival and NCL, you WILL notice that you have taken a step up--to a far more elegant and classy cruise on a nicer ship with better service and less hassles and crowding...

 

Of course, OTOH, what I look for in a cruise maynot be what YOU look for...or what most Carnival fans look for...Heck, my 29 year old nephew and his buddies just got off another Carnival cruise--and they love it. They are young, single, like to stay up LATE, drink a lot and appreciate the constant noise and activity...Like I said, there is a cruise line for everyone...But, if I were you, I would give Princess a try...even if just to find out that it IS the cruise line for YOU...

 

Good luck...

[janetz]

Just off the Carnival Legend. The food and service were fine. The MDR was always noisy and tables and booths very close together. Waiters singing and dancing. That is really not what we want on a cruise, so we prefer Princess. We will be back on Caribbean Princess for 2 weeks in September.

 

Also suites on Princess are 1000% better than on Carnival although standard cabins are a bit larger on Carnival.

 

 

The Legend was my one and only Carnival cruise.

[jasbo49]

Sad to see this thread has drifted into Carnival bashing. Even complaints about waiters singing and dancing (many people actually like that). If you're happy with Princess, you don't need to show it by bad-mouthing another cruise line. It's kind of low.

 

Jim

[cbreit]

I've done 12 cruises, about half Carnival and half Princess. After my last Carnival cruise I said I wouldn't do Carnival again.. just something about Carnival that doesn't suit me, but that's my opinion..

[CruiseManColorado]

But that is just my opinion. I have been on 2 Carnival Cruises and won't go back. I am about to embark on my 5th Princess Cruise and 3rd on the Caribbean Princess in August. Overall, Princess is leagues above Carnival.

 

The service on Princess is second to none. They really go the extra mile to make your vacation. The decor is not as gaudy and in-your-face as Carnival. The rooms, although pretty similar, have nicer amenities on Princess. The food is leaps and bounds ahead of Carnival....and don't forget to get some pizza....the best! The pools were always less crowded and noisy on Princess, so if you value peace, that is a big selling point. And best of all....NO WHALE TALE ON YOUR SHIP! :)

 

To the man who is taking offense to Carnival criticism and titling it "Carnival Bashing", you are missing the point. People are giving honest opinions about what they think. I bet if you posted the same thread on the Carnival board the posters would relay their criticism of Princess. Don't be so sensitive man!