Princess...will I be bored???

[Littlegoo75]

Okay, I love Carnival and was planning on taking a Carnival Cruise in November...now I hear that there is going to be a "Survivor " cruise with the castaways on a Princess cruise in November. I would love to go on that cruise!

The only thing is, am I going to like Princess Cruise Line. I was under the impression that Princess attracts an older crowd ( plus it will be in November) It might be different since this is a theme cruise, but I am wondering what to expect.

How is the food, entertainment, decor, over-all experience. I would really like to know what I should expect. I am in my late 20's and do like to stay up late and party - that is one of the reasons that I like Carnival so much. I would love to hear anything anyone would have to say - The ship is going to be the Caribbean Princess. I think this is a new one.

 

??????????? November 2004

Carnival Pride 4/27/02

Sitmar Fairsea 4/ 1983 ( I was just a little kid!!)

[momofmeg]

Princess is more subdued then Carnival and you do see more older people but there are younger ones too. She will still have lounges with live music etc. She has a disco too. I really enjoyed my one Princess cruise. The food was the best I have had on any cruiseline. The shows were excellent and the service great.

 

Carnival does have more going on but her food and service is not as nice. Anyway I say go for it-I am sure you will enjoy your cruise.

 

Now HAL was like 75% people over 65 and very little going on in the evening besides gambling and the Broadway style shows. I was definetely bored on HAL and I am a middleaged woman. I wasn't on Princess.

 

Carnival Tropicale 10/15/98 Western Caribbean

RCCL Sovereign of the Seas 11/22/99 Bahamas

Carnival Fascination 09/23/00 Southern caribbean

HAL Statendam 05/20/01 Alaska

RCCL Sovereign of the Seas 11/08/01 Bahamas

Pacific Princess 09/29/02 Bermuda

Carnival Inspiration 12/14/03 Western caribbean

Carnival Miracle 04/09/04 Bahamas

[Ari & Jacqui]

We are also looking into a Princess cruise for November (to Mexico). We're in our mid-late twenties as well, and that was a concern of ours...but the trade off is a BRAND new ship (first sailing was yesterday) and a good price. I say go for it, and have a wonderful time!!

~J

 

Miracle 6/26!!

[Joe_Antonelli]

Well, I have to chime in here...both my wife and I are retired and really enjoy Princess. And, yes we have sailed on Carnival many times too. I will be honest and tell you that Princess does attract older people HOWEVER, there are younger people on the ships as well.

 

Our grown children have enjoyed both Princess and Carnival and so have our many grand-nieces and grand-nephews who are in your age range. As a matter of fact, one of our grand-nieces was married last November and they took a Princess Cruise for a honeymoon.

 

Let me tell you what you will find on Princess. I know this is going to start a food war but, I must say it...the food on Princess is superior to Carnival...keep in mind, I find Carnival food very good for the most part. However, Princess is a cut above. They offer a 24 hour buffet and the quality is very good.

 

If you happen to select one of the Grand Class ships...like the Golden or Grand Princess, you will find a disco on top of the ship. It's a very feeling than the discos on Carnival, on the Grand Class ships you are 15 stories above the sea and you take a slide-walk to get into it.

 

You will find that most Princess itineraries include a stop at Princess Cay which is Princess Cruise Line's own special, private island. If you love a day at the beach, then you will love Princess Cay...snorkeling, bar-b-ques, bars, gift shops, and just about any type of water sport you can imagine is available.

 

What you won't find are things like the hairy chest contest. However, not to worry, you will still have a hammy cruise director and more than likely you'll still get some verison of "Bedtime Story". So, it really isn't all that different. OH, one thing that is different is that on some Princess ships you will have up to 3 shows in one evening...if that's your type of thing. Princess also shows movies in a theater (not just in your stateroom).

 

Overall, you're comparing apples and oranges. Both are good. Neither is "better" than the other, it's just a matter of what you like and what you desire in your cruise. We haven't been on the Caribbean Princess yet but, have been reading positive reviews about it, so, you might want to jump over to the Princess board and do a little research.

 

I hope I've aided just a bit in your decision. No matter which cruise line you select, have a wonderful time!

 

Joe from NY

[steveaaaa]

My 2 cents now,

My wife and I are early 40s and I have done 20+ cruises on all the lines and Princess (Grand Princess) was at the bottom of my list,just above NCL.We like to drink too much,stay up real late,gamble and dance till the place closes.We Scuba dive,sail,jet ski, and ATV in many ports.We cruise twice a year.

The food is a personal choice, I want a steak and some potatoes, not my meat bathed in some sauce and my sides to be a piece of art with 2 asparagus shoots in the shape of a tree.The buffet was great,best I ever had but I eat in the dining room most of the time I hated the shows, they were not geared to my likings yet they were very popular.I don't care for the big brass sounds or the rat pack with Sammy Davis. The art auctions and Grandparents get togethers were too much for me. I sailed in Novenber and it was a more mature croud. The disco seemed to die and it was empty most of the time except for a few die hards. The ship is beautiful and the casinos seemed tight. The private island was Ok, just the water was cold.I wore my 2mm wet suit and I was fine.

I am a big fan of CCL and RCL but if the price was greatly better I would look at them again but otherwise I do not care to go back. I always say the best cruise is the one you happen to be on at the time.

Steve

[scantrelle]

Just turned 50 and I cruised on HAL for my first cruise. BIG MISTAKE!!!. I blame travel agent. We told her we love to party and we were concerned about being with a mostly elderly crowd. She told us it was mixed. We counted maybe about 10 people our age. Everyone else was 65 and older. I thought I would never get my husband on another cruise. He decided to give Carnival a try after much persuasion. We thoroughly enjoyed our cruise with Carnival. That cruise line is much more suited for us. Never again will I cruise with anyone else. I don't care what price or itinerary. I will not cruise with anyone else again. I learned my lesson the hard way. At dinner, we were the only ones enjoying ourselves and were stared at the whole time. Dressing every night for dinner and having to stay that way for the rest of the night was a bummer too. Carnival is much more relaxed.

[camreesmom]

I'm glad someone asked this question. DH and I are cruising on the Grand in November. The ship looks beautiful but I too am worried about the nightlife. On Carnival, the disco stayed hopping until 2 or 3 in the morning. On our Royal Caribbean cruise, the disco played the same exact DISCO music from the 70's and the ship pretty much shut down after midnight. We're not big partiers but I'm in my late 30's and DH is in his early 40's and we don't get much time away from the kids so when we do, we would like to party at least a LITTLE bit. We will have a good time no matter what because any cruise is better than being at work! I have been a little concerned about it though. Still looking forward to our first Princess cruise AND our family cruise on Carnival next summer.

 

Julie

 

mjcrober@yahoo.com

 

Fantasy 12/03

Splendour of the Seas 3/04

 

 until our first time on Princess

 

Grand Princess 11/04

 

 until our family cruise

 

Ecstasy 7/05

 

[Littlegoo75]

Thanks for all the advice. The only reason I am thinking about this Princess cruise is because it is the "Survivor cruise" Before that, I would only have really considered Carnival, RCCL, or maybe even Celebrity. I know I won't be sailing on the "Dam" ships (HAL) for at least another 40 years.

I have read that Princess has a variety of people on board, which is great. Also, since this would be a Survivor cruise, it would most likely attract a bunch of Survivor freaks, like myself of all ages...I might not tell my husband that it is a Survivor cruise, he might not want to go! ALthough deep down, he is a closet Survivor fan.

 

??????????? November 2004

Carnival Pride 4/27/02

Sitmar Fairsea 4/ 1983 ( I was just a little kid!!)

[rpinphx1]

We went on New Years Eve cruise to Mex Riv out of LA. You would think that would be the most festive time to try Princess. 2 days after departure I was ready to jump ship. Why????

Boring and very few activities. Food, ship, room, service all were great.

 

We are active in later '40's were bored to death. We made our own good time. We were very mislead that Princess was a activity oriented line.

But, If you want to just relax, this is the cruise for you. Robyn

[crzndeb]

Littlegoo,

 

As a former Sitmar sailer (which I still consider the best), I decided to try Princess 5 years ago since they had bought Sitmar. It is one of the best cruises I have taken (15 total). I was in my late 40's (think I'm 25) at the time and I went with my 2 teenage daughters over Thanksgiving. Now maybe it was the time, but the disco was hoppin every night with young adults in their 20's that totally made it fun every night. They had a great R rated passenger participation show one night that had the audience peeing themselves and several other game type shows throughout the week. Personally, I think Princess gives out the the best prizes (not plastic keychains) of any cruise I have been on. I thought the food was outstanding (italian crew so lots of excellent pastas. I think if this is a Survivor cruise you will get a great group of people that want to have fun. If the price is right, I wouldn't hesitate to do Princess again.

Go for it!!!!!

 

Debbie

[momofmeg]

scantrelle you sound like me. I turn 50 next month so when we were on the Stadendam I was 46. I felt like a spring chicken in comparision. Our daughter was 16 at the time and BORED TO DEATH. There were 3 teenagers TOTAL on ship and a handful of younger children. We met one couple in their twenties who had their brother and sister with them. There was like maybe ten people in their 30's-maybe 25 in their forties like us. This was a ship that had 1500 pasengers.

 

The only thing hopping was the casino so if you weren't into that tuff. There were lounges and they stayed open but they were all dead- no music or entertainment there-who wants to sit and drink and go to sleep? The "late" buffet was at 10:30 p.m.

 

Carnival Tropicale 10/15/98 Western Caribbean

RCCL Sovereign of the Seas 11/22/99 Bahamas

Carnival Fascination 09/23/00 Southern caribbean

HAL Statendam 05/20/01 Alaska

RCCL Sovereign of the Seas 11/08/01 Bahamas

Pacific Princess 09/29/02 Bermuda

Carnival Inspiration 12/14/03 Western caribbean

Carnival Miracle 04/09/04 Bahamas

[Travelitis]

When we went on the Grand, DH was 28, and I was 38. We wanted some nightlife but aren't stay-up-til-dawn types. The disco was the best of the ships we've sailed, and it stayed open with the party going past when we cared to stay up. There was a big mix of people and ages on the Grand, with no particular group seeming to dominate. On the Zuiderdam, although we had a fabulous cruise, senior citizens completely dominated the passenger list. We can adapt to any set of cruise circumstances. That's the real key to whether you'll enjoy a cruise.

 

We loved Princess and found the food better than any of the other ships we've sailed. You absolutely must try the Princess Loveboat Dream if you like chocolate. Don't procrastinate! Order it the 1st night! HAL's quality was maybe even a little better, but the menu was too basic. Menus on the Grand were sinificantly more adventureous than on HAL.

 

If you're looking for the hairy chest contest to make your cruise complete, Princess isn't the right line. Other than that, I don't know how you could go wrong with your choice. Princess has plenty of activities, pools open 24 hrs., Personal Choice dining, wonderful food, beautiful ships, great service, etc. We priced taking our kids on the Grand for Thanksgiving, but Carnival came in $900 less which is the only reason we picked the Elation. I was concerned at first that the Elation was not as nice a ship as we've sailed, but I know we'll have a great time anyway. I saw the curling slide and was sold. My family can have fun on any cruise. There is not just one perfect line or ship for us.

 

Remember that people can have totally different experiences. I read a review from a woman who sailed the Grand the same week as I did and whose cabin was right by mine. She went on and on about stains on the hall carpet (NOT cabin carpet) and how it ruined her cruise. Please! I thought the carpet looked in excellent condition and noted no stains. Why would stains on a hallway carpet ruin a cruise? She went on to gripe that the buffet had no trays. Well, the platters were big enough to use as trays. Since when did buffet mean "50 lbs. of food in 1 trip"? The Grand's buffet restaurant was very pretty, and they're aiming for less of a cafeteria feeding-frenzy ambiance. I enjoyed this buffet more than others because of that and appreciated having a nicer atmosphere. When you read people's gripes, remember your experience my vary greatly.

 

How about I trade you the Elation for the Carib. Princess? Think the lines will agree to switch ships for us?

 

Gael

 

Norway 1994

Norway 7/00

Grand Princess 7/01

NCL Sun 7/02

Zuiderdam 9/03

Elation 11/04

 

 

 

[camreesmom]

Gael, I loved your response. I agree that a cruise is what you make of it. We too are not stay up til dawn folks but we do enjoy some dancing and a few foo foo drinks after midnight.

 

We are taking our kids on the Ecstasy next summer because we have one that won't be 3 yet when we sail so Carnival is the only one with a children's program that will take her. The kids are really looking forward to the water slide.

 

More details on the Princess Loveboat Dream, please. Is this a pudding, cake, pie or what??? My mouth is already watering just from my imagination!

 

Julie

 

mjcrober@yahoo.com

 

Fantasy 12/03

Splendour of the Seas 3/04

 

 until our first time on Princess

 

Grand Princess 11/04

 

 until our family cruise

 

Ecstasy 7/05

 

[kkorman]

I am 28 and addicted to Princess. THey do a much better job than Carnival in reaching out to all age groups. Depending on itinerary, the age may be older. Longer cruises will have older crowd. That being said I went on the 16-day repositioning on the Coral Princess and it was the best of 22.

 

Next: #23 Dawn Princess 10/04

Photos: http://community.webshots.com/user/kkorman

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Last Few: Coral Princess 6/04 (AK-South), Coral Princess 4/04, (Canal-FLL-VAN), Conquest 12/03 -New Years, Norwegian Sky b2b 12/03

[hstrybuf]

I have done two cruises on Princess, the last one being the Grand, and enjoyed them as much as any other line. I liked the food, the specialty restaurants, and found plenty to keep me busy (or not). The only thing I noticed is that the cabins are smaller than Carnival's so you have to book a mini-suite or better to get the space. Go for it!

 

 

Navigator OTS 10/04

Legend 04/04

Grand Princess 09/03

Dawn Princess 01/03

Enchantment OTS 10/02

Destiny 01/02

Sensation 08/99

[momofmeg]

Julie the Love Boat dream is a chocolate mouse shaped like a heart. It is good but I like Tiramisu better and I have had chocolate mouse on Carnival too-pretty much the same just not shaped into a heart.

 

If you want to make mouse at home. Just get some choclate instant pudding and substitue half and half for milk or else whipping cream two thirds and one third milk. It is great-just don't look to see all the fat grams or you will be terrified of having a heart attack.

 

Oh yes the Love Boat dream is topped with a little whipped cream and some dark chocolate shavings.

 

Carnival Tropicale 10/15/98 Western Caribbean

RCCL Sovereign of the Seas 11/22/99 Bahamas

Carnival Fascination 09/23/00 Southern caribbean

HAL Statendam 05/20/01 Alaska

RCCL Sovereign of the Seas 11/08/01 Bahamas

Pacific Princess 09/29/02 Bermuda

Carnival Inspiration 12/14/03 Western caribbean

Carnival Miracle 04/09/04 Bahamas

[serene56]

Littlegoo: if you want to be a part of this survivor cruise you have to book with the agency that is sponsering it. There is a post on here about the information

 

Going NOWHERE

 

 

 

Miracle, February 13, 2005

Legend, October 22,2004

Voyager August 31,2003

Victory September 22,2002

Regal Empress,June 2001

Sensation,August 2000