New to Carnival...only cruised Princess before some questions!

[jeaniust]

Hi! I posted this on Princess boards but figured I would try posting here too! I'm in charge of planning a ladies get away for myself and some friends. I'm in my late 30's and have cruised 3 times prior all with Princess and I love Princess. However I needed a 3 or 4 day out of Long Beach in Aug/Sept so Carnival it is! My girlfriends have never cruised before so are very excited and happy to try Carnival. So here are my questions and would appreciate ANY input:

 

1. Looks like Carnival Inspiration/imagination doesn't have balcony rooms except in suites...how are their interior/oceanview room sizes compare to Princess Grand class rooms?

2. What should I expect different on imagination/inspiration from Princess Grand class ships? Public space, entertainment, dining, and vibe in general...

3. What decks should I book? I know on princess I look for the decks NOT below or above pools, clubs etc. I'm clueless on Carnival...

 

I think I have many more questions and I apologize if there's a previous post on this already but if someone can point me to the right direction I would really appreciate it! Thank you!!!

 

 

 

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[Rosefloater]

The interior/ov rooms are larger than Princess. There is no counter space on Inspiration or Imagination. We bring a over the door shoe bag for the bathroom.

 

We don't like to have a cabin by the mid stairwell as the smoke from the Casino bar travels down the stairwell.

 

The vibe is more upbeat than on a Princess ship. Food is subjective, but on the Ruby last month, we lost a few pounds because the food was over/under cooked to the point of being inedible.

 

Any deck is good, but deck seven is under the dining rooms and galley and can be noisy.

[Micahs Grandad]

We prefer the entertainment on Princess over Carnival. Only thing Carnival has over it is the comedy club hope you get some good ones.

 

Buffet better on Princess DR about the same. We like how on Princess crew will bring your drinks but on Carnival you have to get them yourself.

 

BTW we are Diamond on Carnival and Platinum on Princess.

[serene56]

LOVE the grand class. You are going from a large ship to a very small ship.

 

Our first sailing was the sensation and that is the same class.

I think if I did the Ruby first then the sensation i would more then likely be disappointed because that is not what i was expecting.

[SadieN]

The interior/ov rooms are larger than Princess. There is no counter space on Inspiration or Imagination. We bring a over the door shoe bag for the bathroom.

 

 

 

..........

 

 

 

Clarification........

There’s a decent sized desk/vanity in the Cabin. A vanity is non-existent in this class of ship. Other classes have a much better bathroom setup.

One 110v outlet and one 220v British outlet.

 

Vibe on these cruises is Weekend in Vegas. Decor is interesting, Imagination is a bit subdued compared to Inspiration.

[SadieN]

Interior ROom for 3

https://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2589579

 

Here are some pix of an interior Cabin. Ocean view is the same set up

Having the twins set up as an “L” will give you more floor room.

Ignore the trundle in the pics if you’re only having two in a cabin.

 

 

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[candipinki]

Last May, I went on the Carnival Magic out of Port Canaveral and the Ruby Princess out of LA in Oct. I've done a bunch of Carnival cruises and that was our first Princess cruise. So, I'm just comparing the lines in general - not the ships you're going on.

 

I would say the food is about the same except you get more variety on Carnival especially late at night. The international cafe on Princess was just ok and when we went there late, there was slim pickings. Carnival has Pizza and ice cream at the least 24/7 which is always delicious.

 

I got the impression that Carnival employees seemed happier and I think they are not only allowed to but encouraged to chat with passengers. Princess employees weren't rude, just not quite as fun.

 

I like to play in the casino so ignore if you're not a gambler. Maybe it's just because we were just in Vegas before the Princess cruise but their casino chips are filthy! They stuck together so it was sometimes hard to put just $5 instead of $10. The casino employees on Princess were more fun than Carnival though!

 

The passengers on Princess seemed a bit older and more uptight too. Carnival passengers seem to be younger and more go with the flow. For instance, my Dad had to take the elevator since he broke his knee a few years ago. We never seemed to have too much trouble on the Carnival elevators with rude people but we sure did on Princess. A few times people would shove people out of the way (like one person elbowed my brother) to squeeze on the elevator and one guy in a wheelchair smashed into my Dad's bad knee. Maybe it was just this cruise though.

 

Overall, I liked Carnival better but in Princess's defense, I did get sick at the end of that cruise. My guess is I touched my face after touching the dirtiest chips at sea. They're really not many things different between the two lines overall but I think Carnival edges out Princess.

[mzlinda]

I’ve been on 12 carnival cruises & 1 Princess Cruise. I live within driving distances to the port in Charleston SC which is primarily a Carnival port. Honestly I found things between Princess and Carnival to be very similar. The 2 differences that I noticed were in the main dining room and the casino. In the MDR, our waitstaff on Princess was exceptional. On Carnival, MDR service has declined significantly. Our Princess waiters had 3 tables for dinner. On my last Carnival cruise, my waitstaff had 5 or 6 tables. Also, I found MDR food quality to be quite a bit better on Princess , although food is subjective. I spend a fair amount of time in the casino and I found the Princes casino to be boring. Many times there was no one at all at the tables - absolutely no one. I never saw the casino crowded. Slot machines were old. I didn’t see buffaloes or babies, which are both popular slots on Carnival ships. I never saw any prize drawings or giveaways on Princess. On the other hand, I spent very little time or money in the casino but I still got a bounce back type offer from Princess. Recently I started getting casino offers from Princess so I think they are trying to improve their casino. Maybe it will be a little more lively, especially if you take a 3 or 4 day cruise which generally appeals to younger cruisers.

 

I found the cabin and cabin stewards to be pretty similar although carnival stewards usually make a point of introducing themselves and talking to you throughout the cruise. My Princess stewards provided wonderful service but stayed largely in the background.

 

I hope you have a great cruise.

 

 

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[Jim and Monika]

I'll bite, my wife and I are Elite on Princess and have not sailed with them since we sailed Carnival. After our next cruise on Carnival, we will be Platinum.

 

Here's what we remember about Princess:

Pools were fresh water and open 24/7 except when having water replaced

Shows had a lot of variety including comedy, magician, and hypnotist

Pizza was good, but had limited hours

Bars had a happy hour with special pricing

You could go to your room after boarding

Steel drum bands by the pool, not sure if they still do

Not a lot of children

Much older crowd, most in bed early

Wide range of itinerary

Newer ships at the time

More expensive

 

Here's Carnival:

Salt water pools that close before 10 pm?

Shows for us are pretty much limited to comedy in a small venue

Pizza is good and 24/7

Ships have a fun vibe to them

Middle aged crowd with family

Limited itinerary

Less expensive

Older ships

 

as you can tell we love Carnival, but don't dislike Princess. If Princess had better pricing we would choose them as they go to more places that we like.

 

A cruise is what you make of it and either way you should have fun if you want to.

 

Jim

[jeaniust]

Thanks everyone for all the great info! Helps so much!!

 

 

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