What can I expect from Princess that is different from Carnival

[Astromaid]

We are doing a 15 day cruise through the Panama Canal on the Coral Princess in March of 2019. We typically cruise with Carnival (can't beat the prices), but wanted to do a full transit through the Canal, which is rarely offered through Carnival. We decided on trying Princess. Things we like about Carnival: diverse food options for breakfast and lunch, enjoy the food in the main dining room, shows, comedy, Serenity, casual. I am sure some of these things on Princess are different. We are aware the dining room dress code is stricter and will dress appropriately. I also realize that Sanctuary is not free, but I do have a balcony cabin and probably will spend many of my sea days there, unless I can find a quiet area with an ocean view. How does the entertainment compare? How is the room steward? I must say that I was disappointed with our steward on the Dream (we cruised in January). I did not have a problem with only having one cleaning a day, we selected morning, my problem is that the room was not tidied until after noon on most days. I am looking forward to the enrichment offerings with Princess. Also, all of the ports will be new to us, we are looking forward to that. And we are aware that during the canal portion it is best to travel around the ship for different perspectives. Thank you for any tips!

[Tatka]

You will get even better food in MDR and much better food in buffets. More sophisticated atmosphere . Room will be serviced twice a day without questions.

[vegasgal47]

You will get even better food in MDR and much better food in buffets. More sophisticated atmosphere . Room will be serviced twice a day without questions.

 

 

 

You most likely wont have towel animals or the fun a activities/games that Carnival has. Like the other poster said, it's more of a sophisticated cruise rather than a fun cruise. More of a laid back cruise but very nice!

 

Definitely better food!

 

 

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[happy cruzer]

There will be about 4 fresh water pools on Princess. The one near the Spa is no charge to use and has hot tubs. Also there is sunning available right near the Sanctuary that we use and then walk done to the Spa area pool. Most ships also have the steam room and sauna available for no charge near the Spa pool as well as showers. Really nice if you like quiet. Also the aft pool is usually very quiet. The main pool has a movie screen so you can have the up beat experience if you want it.

 

The atrium is very nice with balloon drop, Champagne pour, and entertainers much of the time in the evenings.

 

The International Cafe has no charge for most of the food ( I think some desserts have an extra charge but it is clearly marked). Do a search for pictures, it is a nice feature.

 

I think of Princess as the perfect line for multi generational family reunions, something for everyone!

[satxdiver]

There will not be any silly pool games, ship on a stick, endless trivia games and best of all not nearly as many kids aboard. The IC on the plaza deck is open 24x7 with changing food depending on the time of day and free. Adjacent is the coffee bar. Tables in the MDR have table clothes for all meals where food is better. Rooms are serviced 2x daily. Princess is more of an adult experience.

[Gold Mine Gal]

Have cruised both and each have their good and bad points. I am comparing two Hawaiian cruises, each 15 and 16 day trips.

 

I found Carnival has better MDR food, more buffet choices, larger balcony rooms, especially larger showers, and overall much more livelier.

 

Princess has wonderful entertainment with live bands, more subdued clientele and you are not constantly hounded by photographers. The International Cafe is a great place for a midnight snack. The specialty restaurants are very nice.

 

Both have wonderful and friendly staff. We had full service on both cruises but true no towel animals on Princess but you do get a little chocolate on your pillow. Internet and daily information about the same. Less announcements on Princess. Both had tablecloths in MDR and dancing only on last evening.

Carnival has a hairy leg contest and Princess had a hairy chest contest. I didn’t attend either one. Ha ha.

 

Loved both cruises.

 

Just my opinion trying to compare two similar cruises.

 

 

 

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[Micahs Grandad]

We are Diamond on Carnival and recently reached Platinum on Princess.

 

Now that we are cruising to see the world we are sorry we didnt start with Princess earlier. Princess has the production shows Carnival used to have.

 

Much better and many more choices on their buffet for breakfast and lunch and also dinner.

 

Steward does your room 2x a day as a standard. Int cafe is open 24 hours a day.

 

We do miss the comedy shows and piano bar on Carnival but overall we find it no comparison.

[richstowe]

Based on limited experience , I believe the biggest difference will be your fellow passengers . This is partially explained by Carnival having more families on board . Also Carnival has many more first timers who bring a high level of enthusiasm. Read enthusiasm any way you wish .;):')

A longer cruise (more then 8 days ) is said to be much different than shorter ones . Certainly an older usually more sophisticated crowd . Not as many people desperate to squeeze in as much fun as they can in a short period .

We found Princess similar to HAL and Celebrity while Carnival was akin to Norwegian and RC

[xDisconnections]

we are sorry we didnt start with Princess earlier.

 

Agree with you on that!

[Astromaid]

It is great to hear many of you think the food is better! We always enjoy the food on Carnival though I have heard complaints. So we will look forward to new choices on Princess. We do like the self serve ice cream on Carnival, but I did notice an ice cream shop on Coral Princess, I think. I won't miss the pushy photographers lined up while we go to dinner or the towel animals. Won't miss the trivia,but see that bingo is offered (I won for the first time on Dream).

[meatloafsfan]

Princess is boring compared to Carnival.

Funship 2.0 on Carnival gives a better variety of day time options on the lido deck on Carnival.

Carnival offers their flat iron steak on their every night menu; Princess does not offer an any kind of steak on their every night menu - they offer a hamburger. They do have a variety of beef entrees (as does Carnival) though they tend to be slow roasted with some kind of gravy/sauce with the occasional steak or sauce-less beef dish.

Carnival offers the sea day brunch (which we love); Princess offers the separate breakfast and lunch menus in the MDR (some days had great choices, others not so much).

 

For Princess, they offer a great specialty coffee card (much better than pay as you go on Carnival); and the coffee place (international café) offers basic food options. There are more pools on Princess and less lido deck activity so you're more likely to be able to find a place to just sit and relax.

 

We got an awesome deal on a Window Suite on Princess and we're cruising again in November/December 2018 in the same Window Suite. The Club class dining on Princess was amazing service wise and offered some great additional choices.

[jennybenny]

Food is subjective, and I have found it to be similar on both lines. I never did specialty dining with Carnival, nor paid for the steak up charge in the MDR, but we book specialty dining for the first and last night of our Princess cruises, plus some depending on the length of the cruise.

Carnival is more lively, more activity going on past 10. Princess quiets down about that time. On Princess the disco is usually empty or has the younger kids in there (18 year olds). No Piano bar on Princess. While they do have Crooners, it's not the same thing as on Carnival. It's not as lively. I do miss the piano bar.

We only cruise Princess these days, we enjoy the food, the specialty restaurants, the relaxation while on vacation. Crooners is our favorite bar, followed by Wheelhouse and Explorers. The international cafe is nice and right next to the wine bar (Vines).

The lines are similar enough, but you will find a more relaxed crowd on Princess.

Enjoy your cruise!

[bighairtexan]

Don't worry. There's still trivia on Princess :D

I returned 2 weeks ago from my 20th Carnival cruise (after almost a 10 year hiatus from them) and NEVER AGAIN.

I find the food, service, cleanliness, SO much better on Princess. I love the International Cafe which is open 24/7 with everything from croissants to sandwiches and soups and salads and pastries depending on the hour. It's a bit more sedate for sure but not moribund by any chance. I used to LOVE Carnival's piano bar but it was terrible on the Breeze recently. And Princess has their own version.

The passenger demographics as alluded to by Rich Stowe is VERY different based on my last cruise. Celebrity used to have a slogan "Sophisticated but not stuffy" which kind of sums up Princess. Carnival? Not so much.

Suite perks as well as Loyalty perks are immensely better on Princess and almost non-existent on Carnival.

Things I found better on Carnival? Um... Ok towel animals. Oh and the Chef's Table was actually better on Carnival (of course all this is personal opinion). And the Steak House on Carnival was at least as good as Sterlings.

But you'll see little things like Carnival now doesn't use table cloths in the MDR except "elegant night". NOT a big thing you may think? Well when for the 2nd night my arms STUCK to the table b/c it was so sticky from the previous diner, little things become bigger things.

Just like loyal cruisers on ANY cruise line will notice changes thru the years that may not be all that positive, I thought the deterioration of service, food, atmosphere was much more drastic on Carnival.

Again YMMV.

I know lots of folks LOVE Carnival. They must be doing something right. For my money? Well never again.

[geoherb]

I've never found Princess to be boring. I did like the comedy club on our Carnival cruise. The productions shows, though, are better on Princess. I found the menu and food overall to be better on Princess. As for brunch, there is a "late riser" section on the lunch menu that includes some brunch type dishes. I like the International Café on Princess ships as well.

[OCruisers]

Coral Princess is an excellent choice for a full Panama Canal transit.

Lots of places to view the transit.

To us the food is far better than on Carnival.

You'll enjoy the IC (International Cafe) which is open 24/7.

There's ample entertainment on Princess ... just not the wild & crazy things like on Carnival.

Look forward to enjoying your cruise! You may never want to go back to Carnival. :D

[ksm77]

Don't worry. There's still trivia on Princess :D

I returned 2 weeks ago from my 20th Carnival cruise (after almost a 10 year hiatus from them) and NEVER AGAIN.

I find the food, service, cleanliness, SO much better on Princess. I love the International Cafe which is open 24/7 with everything from croissants to sandwiches and soups and salads and pastries depending on the hour. It's a bit more sedate for sure but not moribund by any chance. I used to LOVE Carnival's piano bar but it was terrible on the Breeze recently. And Princess has their own version.

The passenger demographics as alluded to by Rich Stowe is VERY different based on my last cruise. Celebrity used to have a slogan "Sophisticated but not stuffy" which kind of sums up Princess. Carnival? Not so much.

Suite perks as well as Loyalty perks are immensely better on Princess and almost non-existent on Carnival.

Things I found better on Carnival? Um... Ok towel animals. Oh and the Chef's Table was actually better on Carnival (of course all this is personal opinion). And the Steak House on Carnival was at least as good as Sterlings.

But you'll see little things like Carnival now doesn't use table cloths in the MDR except "elegant night". NOT a big thing you may think? Well when for the 2nd night my arms STUCK to the table b/c it was so sticky from the previous diner, little things become bigger things.

Just like loyal cruisers on ANY cruise line will notice changes thru the years that may not be all that positive, I thought the deterioration of service, food, atmosphere was much more drastic on Carnival.

Again YMMV.

I know lots of folks LOVE Carnival. They must be doing something right. For my money? Well never again.

 

 

This sums up exactly how I feel. Our last Carnival Cruise was in 2012. I said never again! Love Princess our favorite. We will cruise HAL if we find a great deal to good to pass up but prefer Princess. It may not be perfect but it works for us.

[voljeep]

does Barnival have straw and butter rationing yet like on Princess?

[RandallFlagg]

does Barnival have straw and butter rationing yet like on Princess?

 

 

:D I was about to ask that very question!! :D

[OCruisers]

Princess does not have butter rationing.

You can have as much butter as you wish ... just ask for more. :)

[meatloafsfan]

does Barnival have straw and butter rationing yet like on Princess?

No carnival had straws available in the buffet and they serve their butter in small flat dishes. No rationing.

 

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[eclue]

There is no comparison with Carnival to Princess. WE are elite on Princess and I recently did a Carnival cruise with my sister - it was no comparison.

the food on the buffet on Carnival is all fried and dried up..very little fresh vegetables - Princess offers a much healthier buffet menu.....even breakfast is better on Princess buffet. In the MDR, Carnival is fine but lacks the sophistication of Princess......

The pools on Carnival are replent with the beer bucket drinking fans while Princess has a more sophisticated crowd.

the casino on Carnival is terribly over smoked - they did not offer one non smoking night - Princess always offers non smoking nights and also sufficient non smoking areas that Carnival does not - we like the casino and I could barely spend 15 minutes there on Carnival - yuk!!!Other than that, you will love Princess even though it is owned by Carnival Corp.

[Skai]

A lot of loyal Princess cruisers talk Princess up as being more than it really is. Granted, it is one of the nicer overall cruising experiences among contemporary mainstream lines(IE. Carnival, NCL, RCCL), however Princess ought naught be confused with being on par with premium lines such as HAL or Celebrity, or even anything near semi-luxury lines like Azamara, Oceania et. al.

 

The reality is that all of the mainstream lines bring something to the table. Some lines do things better than others and so on. Despite their differences, they offer more that is alike than not. Where they differ the strongest is the type of demographic that they target. Princess tends to cater more towards those that are retired(or near either side of being retired by a decade or so). There aren't as many young kids/young adults aboard as one might find on other mainstream lines. Often, the majority on Princess are empty nester couples or families w/ adult-aged children aboard.

 

What Carnival offers that Princess does not, is more variety in casual dining options. What Princess offers is a more refined attempt at upscale dining, however it's still only banquet quality food. Yeah, there aren't any dancing waiters to interrupt one's meal - where some may see it as 'fun' and others as 'sillyness'. (Presentation aside) The food served in the MDRs is pretty similar in quality. Sometimes decent dishes, at times some so-so dishes, and occasionally some that are bland and uninspiring -- but rarely bad or inedible. Generally the service is pretty good in the MDR on Princess, however this has declined in recent years, as the staff has been stretched thinner and thinner.

 

The International Cafe is overhyped in my opinion. Yes the offerings of grill-pressed Panini-style sandwiches, pasta/deli salads and baked goods/sweets are appealing, but when the only other casual (included in the fare) dining options aboard most ships in the fleet are frozen patty burgers(served with iceberg lettuce, tomato and onion), basic hotdogs or hit-or-miss Lido deck pizza, it's no wonder the IC is a hit with so many.

 

For those that might enjoy many different options for cook-to-order stations, Princess is lacking in this dept.

 

The Princess' buffet does make up for this being open all day and with a little more variety than Carnival's spread(sans all of the other cooked-to-order stations available for lunch). While the Horizon Court does offer ethnic-themed evenings (a la 'German night', 'Mexican night', 'Italian night' etc.), it's the same spread for breakfast in the buffet everyday on Princess.

 

I could go on here with other comparison(s), but what I'd really like to state is this. Princess used have a lot of nice touches that made cruising with them a little more special than it has become of late. A lot of (death by a 1000 cuts)cutbacks have cheapened the experience a little. Perhaps that is endemic across the entire mainstream cruising industry -- as the bean counters have found themselves with balancing pricing challenges that allow them to stay competitive in the mainstream cruising marketplace.

 

I suggest going into one's 1st Princess cruise with an open mind, as a cruise is what one makes it. By limiting assumptions and/or ignoring those that state "There is no comparison between Princess and Carnival" or "Princess is miles ahead of Carnival" one might not be potentially setting themselves up for unrealistic expectations.

 

Enjoy what's different about Princess. You may find yourself missing the Deli, self-serve hot chocolate or (included in the fare) sanctuary sailing on a Princess ship, but you might find the easier time finding a deck chair, or the daily Piazza activities, or the subdued decor to lend to a more relaxing time in slighly classier environs.

[caribill]

There will be about 4 fresh water pools on Princess. The one near the Spa is no charge to use and has hot tubs. Also the aft pool is usually very quiet.

 

On the Coral the pool near the Sanctuary is part of the Sanctuary and is limited to Sanctuary guests. However the Lotus pool is quite nice and has hot tubs.

 

 

Also, on the Coral the only aft pool is the Sanctuary pool.

 

The IC on the plaza deck is open 24x7 with changing food depending on the time of day and free.

 

On the Coral, the International Cafe is on the Fiesta Deck (deck 6).

[caribill]

Have cruised both and each have their good and bad points. I am comparing two Hawaiian cruises, each 15 and 16 day trips.

 

Both had tablecloths in MDR

 

 

 

How long ago was your CCL cruise? Two years ago CCL switched to not having tablecloths except on dress up nights.

[caribill]

CCL has the chocolate melting cake dessert available every evening in the dining room. One of the best chocolate desserts at sea.

 

Princess only has it available in the specialty steak restaurant.