Comparison of Carnival to Princess, how similar???

[Baxter]

I did a 3-day Carnival cruise .... never again. IMO, Princess is a much different experience.

 

I wonder if the number of sailing days makes a difference. Typically we love Princess. Admittedly, we have never sailed Carnival. We did a 3-night cruise on the Sun Princess, and we were not impressed. At all. The clientele was very different than what we were used to...it seemed to be nothing but a booze cruise. Obnoxious drunk people everywhere. Which makes for very cranky staff.

[Jstringers]

My observsation on Princess food (only one trip on the Caribbean Princess)

I have 30+ years restuarant experience to throw in here as well. Remember you're paying aproximately $100 a day for room and board...you can easily spend $100 for a good meal at a good restuarant. That being said I thought the food was extremely good with a wide variety of dishes. You must remember though that they are plating 3000 meals an evening, most good restuarants serve maybe 100 meals. So don't try comparing this to your anniversary dinners at home, it just isn't comparing apples to apples. The steak house on board serves prime beef and is well woth the extra cost,,,Sabatini's served small tasting of the ussual Italian luxery items, it was very filling and well worth the cost as well.

We had several good meals, one or 2 great ones and absolutely no bad meals. Again, you get what you're paying for, don't expect 5 star gourmet and you'll be very pleasently surprised. I was.

Add in the convenience of anytime dining and I thought Princess a real winner, we're going back on the CB in October.

 

Happy Cruising!!!!:)

[CrusinAgain]

:D I have cruised Carnival x 6-8 and Princess more than 15 times, also other lines.. no more Carnival for me.... they are simply too gaudy, and on every single crusie there is a smoke problem either in the piano bar, casino and they do NOT enforce this... or at least coincidentally they don't when I am onboard :rolleyes: :confused: And their lounges etc. are so loud...Their 4-time dining is a pain in the tush since there are two "early" and two "late" seatings and the dining rooms on our last two were practically empty. There are just too many good things about Princess and HAL that I love (and yes, they are owned by Carnival Corp.) and enough about RCI and Celebrity that I like to spend any more money on Carnival. Heck. I like NCL more than Carnival but Princess remains "where I belong"

 

I have looked at pics of NCL because I thought I would like to try that line but those rooms look so unappealing and mismatched. The chair doesn't look comfy but a cheap plastic and the TV looks like it is 13 inches. Am I seeing this right? I was looking at their oceanview and balcony rooms and haven't found a single ship that looks at least as well as Princess or Carnivals rooms.

[SingerEsq]

I wonder if the number of sailing days makes a difference. Typically we love Princess. Admittedly, we have never sailed Carnival. We did a 3-night cruise on the Sun Princess, and we were not impressed. At all. The clientele was very different than what we were used to...it seemed to be nothing but a booze cruise. Obnoxious drunk people everywhere. Which makes for very cranky staff.

 

You're probably right, but actually, I only recall one really drunken indiviudal doing Karoke ... (I know, only one?!) It really had more to do with the large number of families who let their kids run wild. It was very unnerving. I'm not a kid person, so that was a real negative for me.

 

The other thing may have been the lady at our table sitting next to me who -- upon deciding the soup I was having looked good -- picked up her spoon and helped herself to my soup while I was eating it. :eek: I still laugh about the incident.

 

And I know Princess does the Baked Alaska parade (a hokey throw back to days of old), but Carnival seemed to always make the waiters dance in the aisles during dinners almost every night. They looked so humiliated. Still makes me cringe.

[Charliesmom]

There is a HUGE difference between Carnival and Princess. We have 14 Princess cruises under our belt and two Carnival cruises.

 

We also sailed on the Victory and had the same complaints you did. My husband, who loves to eat lost weight on that cruise and the layout of the ship was frightening in that there were dead ends everywhere.

 

We sailed on the Carnival Miracle where the food in the dining room was very good, the food in the Lido not so good, except for the deli which was excellent.

The layout of the ship was lovely.

 

Princess does embarkation much, much better. They also do tendering much, much better. The muster drill is done indoors, in air-conditioned space which is much easier.

 

The big difference between Carnival and Princess for us is the amount of noise. Carnival has umpteen announcements all the time. The sound system is turned up to "burst your eardrums" wherever you go. And you can't escape it. They even do "fun" stuff in the dining room.

 

Princess is much more laid back and much more civilized.

 

Roberta

[momofmeg]

You're probably right, but actually, I only recall one really drunken indiviudal doing Karoke ... (I know, only one?!) It really had more to do with the large number of families who let their kids run wild. It was very unnerving. I'm not a kid person, so that was a real negative for me.

 

The other thing may have been the lady at our table sitting next to me who -- upon deciding the soup I was having looked good -- picked up her spoon and helped herself to my soup while I was eating it. :eek: I still laugh about the incident.

 

And I know Princess does the Baked Alaska parade (a hokey throw back to days of old), but Carnival seemed to always make the waiters dance in the aisles during dinners almost every night. They looked so humiliated. Still makes me cringe.

 

 

I have done 2 of the 3 night cruises. Both were party-party atmosphere-get 7 days of partying in on a 3 day cruise. One was Royal Caribbean, the other was on Carnival. I decided -never again-even if I am given a cruise-NO WAY!

 

I do not particualrly like those lines tha tmuch for 7 days cruises either-although I would cruise a Carnival spirit class ship and a Royal Caribbean radience class ship.

[madelinerose]

Our waitstaff was humiliated and hated the "show". Yes, we cringed also. ;) :eek:

 

......... but Carnival seemed to always make the waiters dance in the aisles during dinners almost every night. They looked so humiliated. Still makes me cringe.

[peterv]

I have been on 10 Carnival & 8 Princess cruises over the last 20 years. Each line has it good points and bad points, but I have never had a cruise that I did not enjoy. I have never done the 3 and 4 day cruises, but after reading the comments, I don't think I ever would. Biggest reason is that they are too short! :D

 

As to the differences:

 

Carnival has more free beverage choice, while Princess has only water coffee and tea. Both lines do an equal amount of nickel and diming.

 

If you happen to cruise during school breaks, there will be lots of kids on either line, but on the larger Princess ships they do have the adult pools, and kind of keep it that way, provided you keep calling the Youth Security or Deck Patrol.

 

Carnival is glitzy decorations, where Princess is more Classic.

 

Carnival are the "Fun Ships" for a reason, Princess entertainment is more staid and traditional ship fare. We like the entertainers on Carnival much more than Princess, but I think this is down to when you go. Princess had some pretty good comedians on our last few trips though.

 

Princess has fresh water pools, and Carnival has salt.

 

Food is about the same on both, neither has anything resembling fine cuisine, but I never expect it. The food is adequate banquet fare. I will give the nod to Princess for a better buffet at night than Carnival, but they also have some odd choices available. I also do like Anytime Dining on Princess as we seem to be able to get tables for two all the time.

 

Embarkation was quick on our Princess cruises, and Carnival is simply OK

 

I've never had a bad cruise on any line and have never traveled on any line that I wouldn't go back to. I've been on all of the mainstream ones and they are pretty much the same with good points and bad points.

 

Cheers,

Peter

[LunchCompanion]

All my Princess Cruises have been ten days or more with many back to backs. I had two Carnival weekend cruises and two Carnival back to backs. But the Carnival back to backs were on the discontinued non-smoking ship.

I would go on a brand new Carnival ship if it were soon home porting in my harbor, the new Carnival ships arent, but the brand new Princess ship is. I liked the broadway walkway type thing on the Ecstacy and the Paradise better than the Victory with its' more crowded piano lounge. Maybe the piano lounges on the Ecstacy and the Paradise werent as popular in those days. I thought the idea of wandering entertainment on Carnival was better than the rather static entertainment I encountered on Princess. Maybe because I have taken mostly off season cruises on Princess and peak season cruises on Carnival. I enjoyed the Christmas holiday decorations on the Ecstacy, and am thinking of taking a Christmas holiday cruise on the QM2.

I got sick from eating too much "free" ice cream on the Victory. The ice cream was sooo good, but kids would drop ice cream on the deck in front of the ice cream machine. I liked the twenty four hour pizza places on all "my" Carnival ships. The frequent cruiser get-together was the best I ever attended on the Carnival Victory.

I spent a total of forty three days on the Regal Princess on many different cruises, but the Regal Princess is the oldest Princess ship, and I am looking forward to the Crown Princess, the newest Princess ship. The Regal Princess has diesel electric conventional propulsion similar to that pioneered decades ago by the Canberra. A proven system as one of my captains on the Regal Princess would say candidly to a group of us on the ship. But now that captain is running the QM2 with two fixed pods and two azipods for the main propulsion design. But one of the fixed pods isnt operating until November, but that story doesnt belong in this thread. I guess my point is, even Captains change from their favorite ships. Time, as well as the particulars of a cruise, makes for different cruise experiences, far more than whether the ship is a Carnival fun ship or a Princess love boat. Fun and love, I can go for both.

But to have cabin M77 again and to go back in time to when the all non- smoking Carnival Paradise, with the big non-smoking sign on the side, was running. Or to be treated royally again on the Royal Princess. Oh, the Royal Princess with the huge picture of Princess Diana. Those were the days. And the days before azipods and fixed pods. Oh, for the good old days. But the Paradise was diesel electric with azipods. And non smoking to boot. Whatever cruise line goes with a non-smoking ship, I would probably say that that ship is the best. I am not looking forward to the area around the cigar lounge on the Crown, especially since at least one reviewer has said that second hand smoke on the Crown is annoying.

I never had a problem getting the seating and the table I wanted on Carnival, but Princess has been another story. Then again I have been many more cruises on Princess ships, and I just may have hit the fortunate four on Carnival.

Considering all of the above, and the food, and the cabins, and the personnel, I would rate Princess somewhat over Carnival. Oh, but for the semi classical pianist who would play different venues throughout the day on the Victory. And similarly, the classical music ensemble on the Victory. Maybe it is a toss up. No, I guess it isn't. The itineraries make Princess a better choice for me.

[Quilting_Cruiser]

We've cruised Carnival four times (all Spirit-class ships) and returned last weekend from our first Princess cruise (Grand class--the Caribbean Princess). DH and youngest daughter like Carnival better. Older daughter and I liked Princess better. We'd sail either line again without hesitation.

 

We'd sail either line again without hesitation. Though I can't imagine we'll ever do another Carnival cruise that is fewer than 7 days. I think that's where your problem is--our first cruise was a four-day on the Carnival Holiday (the oldest in Carnival's fleet now). It was over spring break--we were brand new to cruising and didn't know any better!! It was a booze cruise all the way! We still enjoyed it, but all of our other cruises have been seven to nine days and we've enjoyed them much, much more!

 

IMHO, the two lines are more alike than they are different. We did not find Princess to be a huge improvement over Carnival. There are things I preferred about Princess and things I like better about Carnival.

 

Here's what I liked better about Princess (keeping in mind I've sailed Princess only once):

 

Buffet food was better.

Shows had more variety.

Ship decor (lots of wood, glass and marble).

Embarkation--much smoother than any Carnival embarkation we've had!

Debarkation--also much smoother.

Prebooking of shore excursions (though I understand you can do that on Carnival now, too)

Movies Under the Stars.

Fewer announcements in the cabin.

Muster drill is held in the various lounges.

 

 

What I liked better about Carnival:

 

Towel animals!

Dining room service.

Quality of dining room food.

Dining room entertainment (well, the kids love the dancing waiters--I really don't care one way or the other).

Fun Vision.

Cabin/balcony size (larger bathroom!)--I missed my sofa!

Height of atrium.

Free soft-serve ice cream.

Variety of free drinks.

 

Cabin steward service was comparable. DDs liked the shows in the Princess Theatre better than Carnival, but they loved Carnival, too!

 

Love them both and will sail both again!

 

Cheers!

Jayne

[Quilting_Cruiser]

I have never been on Carnival, however I can tell you that everyone on here will tell you that Princess is not similar to Carnival. They are both a very different cruising experience.

 

No, not everyone. My family found them to be very similar.

 

:)

[momofmeg]

No, not everyone. My family found them to be very similar.

 

:)

 

I have been on 6 lines and the things you call "similiar" is basially true of all lines.

 

My one Princess cruise was a lot "classier" then any Carnival cruise I have done-I am hearing though Princess has gone downhill. I hope not as I have a Princess cruise booked this fall.

[Quilting_Cruiser]

I have been on 6 lines and the things you call "similiar" is basially true of all lines.

I'm sure they are. I can't imagine there's a mass-market line that's all that different than any of the others from all the comparisons I've read here on CC.

Have you ever sailed HAL? I have a friend who swears by them but is cruising RCCL next week for the first time. She says we should try HAL--what's your opinion?

My one Princess cruise was a lot "classier" then any Carnival cruise I have done-I am hearing though Princess has gone downhill. I hope not as I have a Princess cruise booked this fall.

That's the main thing I liked about Princess over Carnival--the more elegant, understated decor. We neither participate in nor watch the pool games, so that doesn't really matter to me.

I hope you enjoy your upcoming Princess cruise. We had a fabulous time on the Caribbean Princess, and as stated previously, my older DD and I preferred Princess over Carnival. That said, youngest DD and DH really want to go on Carnival next time. So, DH and I agreed last night that we'll alternate between his and my choices for cruise lines in the future! How's that for compromise?!?

Happy cruising,

Jayne

[PlanoDebbie]

I did nearly back-to-back cruises last summer between Princess and Carnival. The food on Princess was spectacular. Desserts were exciting and yummy every night. Carnival had mostly pie, ice cream and cheesecake. Nothing to write home about. On Princess, dinner was an event, not just something you had to do.

 

If you prefer to sit around the pool putting away a bucket of beer and cheering for the men in the Hairy Chest contest, then Carnival is your cruise. I would not hesitate to take another Princess cruise, but they don't sail out of Galveston year-round. So...I'm going to give Carnival another try in a few weeks.

[momofmeg]

I'm sure they are. I can't imagine there's a mass-market line that's all that different than any of the others from all the comparisons I've read here on CC.

Have you ever sailed HAL? I have a friend who swears by them but is cruising RCCL next week for the first time. She says we should try HAL--what's your opinion?

That's the main thing I liked about Princess over Carnival--the more elegant, understated decor. We neither participate in nor watch the pool games, so that doesn't really matter to me.

I hope you enjoy your upcoming Princess cruise. We had a fabulous time on the Caribbean Princess, and as stated previously, my older DD and I preferred Princess over Carnival. That said, youngest DD and DH really want to go on Carnival next time. So, DH and I agreed last night that we'll alternate between his and my choices for cruise lines in the future! How's that for compromise?!?

Happy cruising,

Jayne

 

My one HAL cruise was Alaska-HAL attracts an older crowd and so does Alaska-so I was not impressed-except for the casino, once the show was over, the ship pretty much closed up. So I was not impressed-it was too sedate. Now we did have the hot tub to ourselves every night. We went there every night around 10 pm.

 

Now the food quality and presentation of food was much better then Carnival or Royal Caribbean.

 

I have heard though the caribbean cruises although more sedate-are not as sedate as the Alaska ones.

 

Oh yes the ship was beautiful-had lots of gorgeous antiques and had a centrum instead of a glittzy atruim.

[Quilting_Cruiser]

My one HAL cruise was Alaska-HAL attracts an older crowd and so does Alaska-so I was not impressed-except for the casino, once the show was over, the ship pretty much closed up. So I was not impressed-it was too sedate. Now we did have the hot tub to ourselves every night. We went there every night around 10 pm.

 

Now the food quality and presentation of food was much better then Carnival or Royal Caribbean.

 

I have heard though the caribbean cruises although more sedate-are not as sedate as the Alaska ones.

 

Oh yes the ship was beautiful-had lots of gorgeous antiques and had a centrum instead of a glittzy atruim.

 

Thanks. Sounds like it's a line for the future (once my DD is gone from home).

 

Cheers!

Jayne

 

:)

[KansasScrapper]

We did a 7 day in May on Carnival, NEVER again. We thought we would give them a chance. Don't get me wrong the ports were nice, but there was nothing to do on the ship in the evenings. They even closed the hot tubs (with them running I might add). On Princess we have to decide which thing we want to do since there is so much to chose from. We gave Carnival a try but are staying with Princess. I did like the different photo background they did every night. But even that got old the last night & we skipped it.