How does Princess compare to other cruise lines?

[Carolina.girl]

9 hours ago, nini said:

We love Princess. As @caribill and others have stated... we do not want a circus, ice skating rink, Sea World or rock climbing wall on our ship, especially if it displaces aft cabins. IMHO, Celebrity is snooty, poor service and food, and closed in.

The Princess atriums are beautiful and open. Your hubby would have been fine on Princess in reference to clothing. However, shorts probably not allowed on formal night... so what! Go to the Horizon Court and buffet or other places to eat.

And Princess does not nickel and dime you like we have "heard" about NCL and RCL.

That is exactly what he and I discussed....that it may be likely that a nice shorts and shirt outfit in most dining areas would be acceptable, but on formal night we could just eat somewhere much more casual.

Go figure! We have been married 32 years and while I know he has never been "the dress up type", am willing to keep it more casual to have an enjoyable vacation, lol.

[Carolina.girl]

6 hours ago, dockman said:

My last NCL cruise was on getaway...there were about 12 $$ fee restaurants and about 8 free eating spots...so of course the free spots had long lines and many people gave up and went to a pay restaurant...puts a new twist on nickle and diming by making it so hard to find a seat  in free venues that you end up spending some svalueerious $$ to eat.  Not my idea of a relaxing vacation or good value for your cruise dollar.

We just booked again on for Feb 13- 20 on Norwegian Encore, and when I began the booking process, it said we would receive ALL the perks....drink package, specialty dining, wifi, etc. After I finished booking and paying, I noticed it said that we would only be receiving (1) specialty dining meal. This is a major difference from the (3) specialty dining meals they used to give as a promotion perk. I already feel a sense of "let down" since booking. It's not so much that we were counting on having 3 specialty dining meal options, we actually enjoy the main dining room meal courses and quality of food. It's more a feeling that they are not interested in providing real value for what we pay any longer. I get that they probably lost money during the pandemic shut-down on cruises, but still........

[Carolina.girl]

On 1/17/2022 at 8:43 PM, Coffeeluvr05 said:

I have not sailed Norwegian or Carnival yet.  I have sailed RCCL, HAL, and Princess and my take on it is not that one is better than the other.  I think that each tends to market to a different age demographic.  Carnival, Norwegian, and RCCL are fun ships with water slides and really geared toward families and adventure seekers.  Princess is my favorite, but I think it is also because of where I am in life.  RCCL was fun when I was in my 30's...sort of.  A little too peopley for me.  Princess just fits my vibe and the service is pretty amazing.  My first Princess cruise was magical for me.  I truly fell in love with cruising and maybe that's why I'm a little partial to Princess.  We cruised Europe and it was an amazing trip from beginning to end.  It makes me happy to reminisce about it 🙂

I know what you mean when you say you are partial to Princess because it was your first cruise! Our very first cruise was on NCL, the Star. It was one of their smaller ships, maximum of about 2,400 (or maybe even less) passengers at full capacity, leaving out of Tampa going to Honduras, Cozumel, etc. We had no idea what to expect... but ended up absolutely falling in love with the entire experience of cruising and are addicted now! So Norwegian is very special to us...but we are definitely open to experiencing other cruise lines for the adventure of it. 

Europe...whether by cruise or land trip...is my absolute DREAM.....and on my bucket list for certain!

[judithzuz]

On 1/17/2022 at 10:46 PM, pris993 said:

Like others here, we have lots of cruise line experience - 65 + cruises on 9 different lines.  30 cruises on Princess but have done NCL (3x), plus Celebrity, HAL, Cunard, Crystal, RCCL, Royal... 

 

Last did NCL a few years ago in Mediterranean.  Food and service on Princess a step above NCL MDR.  NCL has been known for its entertainment. Entertainment on Princess has similar variety.  

 

You mention west coast but did not say whether Alaska, Mexico, Hawaii or California coast itinerary under consideration.   We have done them all.  San Francisco is our home port. 

 

If you have specific questions feel free to ask.  We are leaving for Mexico on 1/31/22, 10 day round trip out of San Francisco.                       

                           

ooh, such a nice cruise. In fact, that was the last one we did before the shutdown. On Princess, so relaxing.

[Itchy&Scratchy]

18 hours ago, MISTER 67 said:

Right on the nickle and diming, Royal Caribbean are champs at that.

Not sure about that. We've never had to pay for any of the activities or shows on RCI ships, which I can't say about NCL or MSC.

Specialty restaurants are usually extra on all of the major cruise lines. 

Oh, and by the way, when Princess says "Drinks, gratuities, wifi are included in our Best Ever Sale!" they don't really mean "included." They mean "included for an extra $x00 on top of the regular cruise fare." In our case - $400pp.

 

 

ETA: I do find having to check RCI pool towels in and out quite annoying.

Edited January 20, 2022 by Itchy&Scratchy

[Itchy&Scratchy]

11 hours ago, Carolina.girl said:

we actually enjoy NCL's main dining room meal courses and quality of food.

you do? Hmmm. We (all 4 of us) found NCL Jade and Getaway's MDR and buffet food close to inedible. And, as I always like to add, I am a glutton who will shovel pretty much any food into my mouth and enjoy it.

[nini]

Our first cruise was on Celebrity... and we are NOT sentimental about that. We do not care for them and LOVE Princess. Maybe, some day, @Carolina.girl and DH will give it a try.

[pris993]

On 1/20/2022 at 8:19 AM, judithzuz said:

ooh, such a nice cruise. In fact, that was the last one we did before the shutdown. On Princess, so relaxing.

Agree, can't beat a Mediterranean cruise on any line, so much to see, so much history!!  Pandemic has made them very difficult at this time. 

[Mud_Shark]

We are in our 50's, so also not into all the flow riders and such (but would do some ice skating and bumper cars and go carting - if it wasnt for the crowds, line ups, and kids.)

 

We just like the relaxed yet polished vibe of Princess.  I actually prefer the food on Carnival - not gourmet food, but comfort food.  I love Bule iguana cantina, Guys burgers, and Carnival's noodle bowls.  Princess's food is more refined, but not better in my estimation.  But we don't like carnival because it is loud and boisterous and busy.  The hot tubs and pools almost always have someone in them.  There are often loud (maybe drunk) guests on the pool deck.  The shows are loud and a bit more racy than we prefer.  The comedians are more vulgar.

 

With Princess we can usually find a quiet hot tub to ourselves or maybe with another quiet couple.  We can find quiet places to hang out and play a game.  The shows are classy and well performed, more our style.  The movies under the stars are just special (I am a movie buff - and like football).  There is nothing like a movie on the big screen, with popcorn, a comfy blanket, and the Caribbean starlight moving by overhead.  (Carnival now charges $3.00 for their popcorn on deck movie nights).

 

Can't say much about NCL, but I, like the OP's husband, am not super keen on dressing up, but I have made that concession for Princess and am now used to it and go with it.  We often skip the formal nights and head to the buffet or another venue, but I put on a simply collared golf type shirt for dinner with some casual pants.  It's no big deal.  It's time to get out of shorts anyway after a day of sun.  We still haul our formal stuff and will dress up once, maybe twice, in a 14 or 21 day cruise.

 

Don

[Drews_Cruise]

One notable thing about Princess is the consistency of the product from ship to ship.  Even though some are more modern than others, they all have a consistently elegant appearance and consistent activities and restaurants.  Once you've done one princess cruise no matter which ship you get on , you will KNOW you are on a Princess ship.   It's wonderful knowing what to expect and getting what you expect.  Sweet travels!

[Cruiser_1977]

I have done all three within the past 5 years. I have reviews in my signature. None since the 'Rona. My $.02:

For the money I believe Princess is the better value. There were far fewer kids on Princess than the other two, the entertainment options felt geared to a more "sophisticated" guest. I also thought the food was the "best" on Princess. 

There was a recent thread regarding Princess v. Carnival here is my response in that thread:

 

[fpsphil]

How I see it and discussed with people on the majestic last week

 

Carnival - Walmart of cruising

Rccl, NCL - Target of cruising

HAL, Celebrity, Princess - Macy’s of cruising

Seaborn, Viking, etc - Saks Fifth Ave

[mlgb]

I will be on Majestic this week and just got of the 5-day Bliss to Cabo post-'Rona. The upcoming sail will be my first time on a Princess ship other than Island.  I have done two HAL cruises to Alaska, Zaadam and Noordam. ( I have to say that HAL is my favorite line so far). 

 

On NCL first cruise was on the Sun (loved the old layout with the walking deck) and then on Bliss. RCI was my first cruise on a Panamax that is no longer in service ( I hope it's been scrapped).

 

It is true that NCL has just "cheapened" their specialty dining benefit to 1 instead of 2 on the 7 day.  They also don't have free room service after 10 am continental breakfast while Princess is free all day. Bliss specialty dining venues are more varied but more expensive. We really liked Le Bistro for food and service, saw the captain there both times we went in 2019. AFAIK They don't include Starbucks in the drink packages. However there are coffee makers in the rooms, which make pretty decent coffee. They have a beer pub for the beer lovers.

 

After bad experiences in the Bliss MDRs in 2019, I stuck with the buffet this year. I am a big fan of the Taste of India station which is B/L/D (guess that Princess does not do that any more).  It is more than "just curry". Desserts and scooped ice cream were also good at the buffet. There are the usual stations for pasta and salads, selections of charcuterie so not all "burgers and pizza". I thought their fresh produce selection was poor and often unripe. Buffet seafood is limited (only shrimp, salmon and tilapia). Probably better in MDR and definitely better in Le Bistro and Ocean Blue.

 

The regular Bliss  balcony cabins have a sofa and there is a glass shower door instead of a cloth curtain. The balconies are not quite as cramped as on Majestic from what I have read.

 

There are two walking decks on Bliss, the Waterfront on 8 which goes 3/4 of the way around the back, and also the jogging track on the upper level (17 I think). At the front of the ship is the Observation Lounge on Deck 15 but it is true that Haven blocks off the  open air levels above 16 at the bow.

 

One advantage of Bliss right now (and through Feb) is that they are including the testing at the port. So no chasing appointments or waiting for kits in the mail.

Edited January 31, 2022 by mlgb