New to Princess Cruise Line

[DES07]

Hello, my husband and I are new to Princess we have cruise Carnival lots of times. but found a great deal and want to try something new. So, if you guys would answer a few questions for us it would be great:)

 

1) the difference between Carnival and Princess?

 

2) I was told that Princess is for the older crowd is that true?

 

3) We booked a balcony room that won't be assigned until check in, is that a bad thing? I don't want a life boat in our view..

 

4) Dress code for main dinning room, I know everyone has their opions about it. On carnival I would wear a summer dress and my husband slacks and polo. Is that alright on Princess?

 

Sorry for the random questions. Just needing to clear a few things up. We are cruising in November...

[Thrak]

Hello, my husband and I are new to Princess we have cruise Carnival lots of times. but found a great deal and want to try something new. So, if you guys would answer a few questions for us it would be great:)

 

1) the difference between Carnival and Princess?

Princess will be more "sedate" than Carnival. I have yet to see a drunk.

2) I was told that Princess is for the older crowd is that true?

My wife and I are early 60's and we fit in nicely. There are younger people and older people. There are very few in their 20's - at least on the cruises I've taken. I am not someone who has cruised a lot...

 

3) We booked a balcony room that won't be assigned until check in, is that a bad thing? I don't want a life boat in our view..

There are no lifeboats blocking balcony cabins. That is limited to the Obstructed Ocean View class.

 

4) Dress code for main dinning room, I know everyone has their opions about it. On carnival I would wear a summer dress and my husband slacks and polo. Is that alright on Princess?

Yes, that is fine. The standard for most nights is "smart casual". However, on Formal Nights, one really "should" dress more formally. You will get differing opinions about that.

 

Sorry for the random questions. Just needing to clear a few things up. We are cruising in November...

 

See above...

[Colo Cruiser]

Hello, my husband and I are new to Princess we have cruise Carnival lots of times. but found a great deal and want to try something new. So, if you guys would answer a few questions for us it would be great:)

 

1) the difference between Carnival and Princess?

 

2) I was told that Princess is for the older crowd is that true?

 

3) We booked a balcony room that won't be assigned until check in, is that a bad thing? I don't want a life boat in our view..

 

You probably booked a GTY, those can be assigned up to the last few days before sailing. They do not assign cabins at checkin, it has to be done a few days before.

 

4) Dress code for main dinning room, I know everyone has their opions about it. On carnival I would wear a summer dress and my husband slacks and polo. Is that alright on Princess?

 

That would be fine for dining any night other then formal nights and also ok in the buffet and specialty restaurants. Check the Princess website for their formal dress policy.

Sorry for the random questions. Just needing to clear a few things up. We are cruising in November...

 

 

Enjoy your Princess cruise.

[hubofhockey]

Princess is more of a relaxed resort environment and a bit more upscale. Carnival is more of a party environment and Carnival also serves kids very well. Carnival also has more announcements on loudspeakers and cruise directors who are more in your face. I'd say it is more of a downscale line. You get some who cruise on both lines, depending on itineraries and circumstances. I'd say Princess ships are nicer, but that's a matter of taste.

[Lovetocruiseprincess]

4) Dress code for main dinning room, I know everyone has their opions about it. On carnival I would wear a summer dress and my husband slacks and polo. Is that alright on Princess?

 

 

Dress that up a bit with a long sleeve shirt & he'll be able to go to the DR on formal evenings.

[custompcsys]

Princess is more of a relaxed resort environment and a bit more upscale. Carnival is more of a party environment and Carnival also serves kids very well. Carnival also has more announcements on loudspeakers and cruise directors who are more in your face. I'd say it is more of a downscale line. You get some who cruise on both lines, depending on itineraries and circumstances. I'd say Princess ships are nicer, but that's a matter of taste.

 

Agreed. Think of the experience of going to Walmart vs Macy's. I prefer shopping at Macy's but sometimes Wally World will have what i need so I order on line, go in, get it, and get out. For a quick getaway on the cheap Carnival does the job, but I wouldn't spend a lot of time there :) On the other hand some people love shopping at Wally World for various reasons, and this is why we have choices. This is just one person's opinion on the difference between the experiences...your mileage may vary :)

[RotaryMike]

an FYI, on Royal/Regal, on Emerald -Deck 8, there are several balcony cabins marked obstructed view.

[Thrak]

an FYI, on Royal/Regal, on Emerald -Deck 8, there are several balcony cabins marked obstructed view.

 

Never been on those two new ships but, somehow, it doesn't surprise me since they don't have any OV rooms at all. Are they actually blocked by lifeboats or is it simply that they are in the bow and there is a steel guard rail rather than the glass guard rail?

[Colo Cruiser]

an FYI, on Royal/Regal, on Emerald -Deck 8, there are several balcony cabins marked obstructed view.

 

Never been on those two new ships but, somehow, it doesn't surprise me since they don't have any OV rooms at all. Are they actually blocked by lifeboats or is it simply that they are in the bow and there is a steel guard rail rather than the glass guard rail?

 

 

Most are at floor level.

[shredie]

I have done my share of Carnival cruises, but I do prefer Princess. The first thing you'll notice is the decor. It's not Vegas-style neon as on some Carnival ships. Most Princess ships will have similar decor throughout. There is no FTTF to worry about. You board, go to your room. The crowd might seem older, but there are plenty of young people around, too. You will find that the dining room attire might be up a step from Carnival. Polo shirts and sundresses will work just fine for everyday. On formal nights, you might feel out of place without at least a tie for your husband and something dressy for you. Any balcony cabin will have a view. There are some thing I prefer on Carnival (the fish dishes, for instance) but Princess really is my line of choice.

[caribill]

 

3) We booked a balcony room that won't be assigned until check in, is that a bad thing? I don't want a life boat in our view..

 

 

Your GTY cabin assignment could occur anytime between now and when you check in for the cruise. 99% of the time it will be assigned before the day of the cruise.

 

If you booked directly with Princess, you should receive a notice of the cabined assigned from Princess. If you used a Travel Agent, the TA will be notified who then is supposed to notify you. However, many people learn about the assignment first by seeing it in the online Personalizer on the Princess web site.

 

If you did not book a balcony category of "obstructed view", then there will be no lifeboat or steel plate blocking your view.

[skynight]

Hello, my husband and I are new to Princess we have cruise Carnival lots of times. but found a great deal and want to try something new. So, if you guys would answer a few questions for us it would be great:)

 

1) the difference between Carnival and Princess?

2) I was told that Princess is for the older crowd is that true?

3) We booked a balcony room that won't be assigned until check in, is that a bad thing? I don't want a life boat in our view..

4) Dress code for main dinning room, I know everyone has their opions about it. On carnival I would wear a summer dress and my husband slacks and polo. Is that alright on Princess?

Sorry for the random questions. Just needing to clear a few things up. We are cruising in November...

 

First of all what ship? The answer to question no. 3 depends. The Royal and Regal Princess have obstructed view balcony cabins where the view downward is blocked by life boats. Other ships do not have any obstructed view balcony cabins.

Dress in MDR's for dinner is smart casual and formal. What you defined for yourself and your husband fits smart casual, but you will find many more men in shirts with a collar than tees. Formal is a nice outfit for women and jacket and tie for men. Some men will wear a jacket with no tie, some tie with no jacket, some will be in tux. You will not be turned away. The surcharge dining restaurants are smart casual all the time. The buffet is always casual. There are lots of dining options to choose from. Depends on the ship.

Your cabin will most likely be assigned before you actually check in. Keep checking the Cruise Personalizer on the Princess web site.

If your November cruise is over Thanksgiving you will find more youth on board. If it is a 7 day or shorter non holiday cruise the crowd will not be geriatric. There will be passengers of all ages, but probably not too many in their 20's. If your cruise is longer expect the demographic to be older.

 

Here are some other random thoughts. On Princess you go directly to your cabin when your board. No waiting, no first to the fun. An unlimited beverage package for all alcoholic and non alcoholic drinks is available for $56.35/day/pp. All people in the cabin DO NOT have to purchase the package. Check out this package and others at: http://www.princess.com/learn/onboard/gifts_services/cellars_culinarydelights/princess_cellars/index.jsp

[Colo Cruiser]

Your GTY cabin assignment could occur anytime between now and when you check in for the cruise. 99% of the time it will be assigned before the day of the cruise.

 

 

Or they learn about it when checking in at the pier even though it was already assigned before arrival at the pier.

[DES07]

Thank you guys for all your help. We will be crusing on Emerald Princess out of Houston on Nov 11. Have any of you been to the houston port, we have not we have only been to galveston or new orleans.

 

Any thought or pics of Emerald Princess would be nice

[LewesBeach]

The demographic will generally depend on the time of year and itinerary. Longer voyages, a TA to or from Europe for example, may be an older crowd. But we also did cheap 4 & 5 day itineraries in the Caribbean in Feb/March and the ship was filled with Spring Breakers. We are getting off the Emerald in Houston from a 17 day TA on Nov 11 - the day you embark. First time in Houston for us as well.

[DES07]

A 17 day cruise would be amazing... Take care of her, since we will be on it right after you:)

[JF - retired RRT]

Thank you guys for all your help. We will be crusing on Emerald Princess out of Houston on Nov 11. Have any of you been to the houston port, we have not we have only been to galveston or new orleans.

 

Any thought or pics of Emerald Princess would be nice

 

Did Houston last year - nice port. The only real issue is fog at certain times of the year. We had Noro on our cruise and predicted fog for disembarkation, so the decision was made by Princess to skip our last port and beat feet back to Houston. We were reimbursed for the issues. Ended up with more OBC than we left with:D Score!!

Also, you didn't ask and no one has mentioned...the OBC on Princess is great!!

You can combine ALL OBC - veterans, shareholder (Carnival stock), TA, and Princess. We have had as much as $850 OBC on a 15 day cruise. Very nice benefit.

We were on the Emerald once, very nice ship. But then, they are all nice and all have that "Princess" look.

[Cruisin' Chick]

Hello, my husband and I are new to Princess we have cruise Carnival lots of times. but found a great deal and want to try something new. So, if you guys would answer a few questions for us it would be great:)

 

1) the difference between Carnival and Princess? My first six cruises were on Carnival (betw 1994 and 2002) and then we went on our first Princess cruise, and from then on, we were glad we switched. No flashy Vegasy decor. A lot less PAs (depends on your cruise director, but many refrain from those "here's your last chance to win..." type of come on's). A lot less activities that I would be embarrassed to watch such as those lipsync using a banana as a mic, stuff the bikini with ping pong balls, and hairy back contests (haven't seen those on Princess and hopefully will never).

2) I was told that Princess is for the older crowd is that true?

Depends on when you go and for how long. Our last three cruises were two week cruises over the holidays, so a great mix from toddler to walker users. And since NYE was celebrated on all three, even the oldest seemed to party at midnight.

From what I understand, it's a much older crowd on HAL ships, but you'll still see kids on the "Dams."

 

3) We booked a balcony room that won't be assigned until check in, is that a bad thing? I don't want a life boat in our view..

 

Have you looked at the deck plans of your ship on Princess.com? See what cabins are there for the category you've selected.

 

A couple of cruises ago, we did have an obstructed ocean view on the Golden, and while we were in port, no obstruction. Sometimes we'll have a rope or some other pieces of something, but we were always able to see outside. Maybe other cabins were more obstructed.

 

As we usually get insides, not having a totally unobstructed view wasn't a big deal for us. We've been selecting specific cabins for our last several cruises and have marked our booking "no upgrade" as for us, it's not necessarily the cabin type, but the location.

 

If you have specific needs or desires, it might be worth just booking a cabin that fits your criteria.

 

4) Dress code for main dinning room, I know everyone has their opions about it. On carnival I would wear a summer dress and my husband slacks and polo. Is that alright on Princess?

 

My hubby likes to wear tropical shirts whenever he isn't at work (or when not working on his car or the garden, of course). So for smart casual dinners in the main dining room, he wears his tropical shirts and fits in fine. I'll usually wear a sundress. Like if we're going to a nice restaurant.

 

For formal nights, he wears a suit with dress shirt and festive tie. I'll usually wear a cocktail dress or a LBD. Even our teen dressed up more, but in her own "style.":rolleyes::)

 

If one of us didn't feel like dressing up for the dining rooms, there's plenty of other choices like the Horizon Court (the buffet), which you can even wear shorts at dinnertime. Same for poolside eating (then you can stay in your swim suit, grab a pizza or hamburger at the grill there, and watch a movie outside). If you check out the Princess website, you'll find out what all the dining options for day and night are for your ship.

Sorry for the random questions. Just needing to clear a few things up. We are cruising in November...

 

I really suggest going to the Princess website and read the "Cruise Answer Place." Lots of great info.

[caribill]

Thank you guys for all your help. We will be crusing on Emerald Princess out of Houston on Nov 11. Have any of you been to the houston port?

 

Bayport has a nice modern terminal. It can only service one ship at a time.Do you have any specific questions about it?

 

[shepp]

Formal is a nice outfit for women and jacket and tie for men. Some men will wear a jacket with no tie, some tie with no jacket, some will be in tux. You will not be turned away.

 

As per posts in a recent thread, you will probably not be turned away.

[DES07]

Bayport has a nice modern terminal. It can only service one ship at a time.Do you have any specific questions about it?

 

What time are you allowed to start checking in? And is there plenty of parking we cruise nov 11 and i just looked on their website and it wont let you reserve a parking spot yet. And do you know of any hotels close by that offers shuttle and parking while on the cruise. I know there are lots of them in galveston but can't seem to find one in Houston area. Thanks

[Bimmie Girl]

What time are you allowed to start checking in? And is there plenty of parking we cruise nov 11 and i just looked on their website and it wont let you reserve a parking spot yet. And do you know of any hotels close by that offers shuttle and parking while on the cruise. I know there are lots of them in galveston but can't seem to find one in Houston area. Thanks

 

we are staying in Kemah for our Feb. cruise on the Emerald, and The Boardwalk Inn, offers parking for free the week you are on the cruise. There are other hotels, but Houston is further away from the pier than other smaller cities. Someone helped me out with the surrounding cities to stay at and most offer park and stay at the hotels. Go to the search bar at the top right and put in (Bayport terminal, places to stay) and you find more information.

[DES07]

we are staying in Kemah for our Feb. cruise on the Emerald, and The Boardwalk Inn, offers parking for free the week you are on the cruise. There are other hotels, but Houston is further away from the pier than other smaller cities. Someone helped me out with the surrounding cities to stay at and most offer park and stay at the hotels. Go to the search bar at the top right and put in (Bayport terminal, places to stay) and you find more information.

 

Thank you so much:D

[caribill]

What time are you allowed to start checking in? And is there plenty of parking we cruise nov 11 and i just looked on their website and it wont let you reserve a parking spot yet. And do you know of any hotels close by that offers shuttle and parking while on the cruise. I know there are lots of them in galveston but can't seem to find one in Houston area. Thanks

 

Check-in starts about 11 AM with initial boarding around noon.

 

As you can see from the picture, there are plenty of empty parking spaces. Paying in advance will assure you of a spot. They are expanding the parking lot to handle the additional demand for when NCL also starts sailing from there.

 

To locate the closest hotels, use google.maps to display the location of the cruise terminal and then use the feature to search for nearby hotels.

 

It is more fun to stay at the Boardwalk Inn in Kemah as it is a fun tourist area and dining area. It is about 8 miles from the port and you would need a taxi to get to Bayport if you are not driving your own car.