New to Princess, not to cruising, tell me about it..

[gouda]

Well, not all about it. I cruise with my kids and extended family, so a good kids program is important to me, as is good (not great, I don't have unrealistic expectations), food, and service.

 

Don't care much for pool games, casinos, etc. I've sailed Disney, RCCL, NCL and Celebrity, and had a great time on all but NCL, which was extremely disappointing and which I would never sail again due to service issues, but I do like the idea of Personal choice dining, which brings me to Princess. Of all the cruises, I like Celebrity best, which gives you some idea of what I like, but sailing with children, I want to eat on my schedule. How does Princess' Personal choice dining work? How are the waits? Do you eat in the same dining room or at least the exact same menu as traditional dining? Is service compromised? I'd love to hear about the dining and from people who've sailed with kids. Also anyone who has sailed Celebrity and Princess could you compare the two?Thanks!

[spongerob]

Personal Choice gives you the option of unstructured (PC) dining times or scheduled traditional dining. There seems to be some differences in opinion on how well PC works for larger groups such as families. I think it has a lot to do with the maitre d' for the PC dining rooms. Some MD's are better than others. If you have a larger group, you can try to reserve a table, or go down and put in your request. You might have to wait a few minutes for a table during peak dining times, but you'll get a pager to alert you when your table is ready.

 

Princess offers a great cruise experience. Hopefully you'll find one that suits you. Your questions will be easier to answer if we knew which ship you've selected and when you are sailing. Good luck!

[gouda]

I haven't selected any ship yet, I'm just starting to investigate the cruiseline. I really want to do my homework as I got burned on our last cruise by not heeding warnings. I don't want to make the same mistake twice.

 

I'm more concerned about the company as a whole and how honest and reliable they are and what their commitment to customer satisfaction is. We had a LOT of problems with our last cruise and the company was completely unresponsive to our concerns, for example, they didn't even acknowledge receipt of our letter nor have we been able to speak to anyone.

 

I will be sailing in February (president's week) or around April 18th of 2005 and there will be 7 in our party.

[CruiseFever]

Well, not all about it. I cruise with my kids and extended family, so a good kids program is important to me, as is good (not great, I don't have unrealistic expectations), food, and service.

 

...I want to eat on my schedule. How does Princess' Personal choice dining work? How are the waits? Do you eat in the same dining room or at least the exact same menu as traditional dining? Is service compromised? I'd love to hear about the dining and from people who've sailed with kids. Also anyone who has sailed Celebrity and Princess could you compare the two?Thanks!

 

I don't have personal experience with Celebrity but it does seem to me that when there's somebody arm wrestling over which is better it's Celebrity vs Princess more than any other match. In the end, again just my perception, it seems Celebrity gets the nod on overall quality sometimes but Princess consistently gets the nod on diversity and choice.

 

Personal choice dining, another way to feed you, allows you to eat when you want and with who you want any time during their hours of operation.

 

On the Golden, for example, there were two other dining rooms to serve those who had selected or had been given Personal Choice dining. We chose one, liked it a lot, and asked to be seated at the same table, at the same time, with the same waiter for the rest of the cruise. This was no problem. So for all practical purposes we did have traditional dining. The same menu was being served the only difference was that the people around us were not always the same...although many were.

 

We could have simply walked into one of the PC dining rooms during serving hours when we were hungry and been seated, probably after a wait. We could have phoned in reservations for various places to eat at various times during the week in advance, say on the first day aboard. Not a bad idea if you like early dining but not when the ship is in port and you'll be ashore, for example.

 

In addition to the traditional and personal choice dining rooms are other specialty restaurants like Sabatinis or the Sterling Steak House that offer sit down dining for a small additional fee and are reservation only. These offer even more flexibility but require thinking ahead.

 

In addition to these sitdown table service restaurants is the Hoizon Court/Caribe Cafe a buffet by day that transforms itself into more of a service oriented venue at night, a Pizza and Grill open a good chunk of the day and 24 hour room service that has extensive offerings. Specific elements vary a little from ship to ship but that's the flavor of it all and that's it in a nutshell.

 

As you're in the investigation stage of all things Princess you might be interested in my own quest for Princess knowledge not all that long ago in preparation for our first recent Princess cruise on the Golden last March. Here's all the details:

 

http://www.lifeiscruising.com/golden_princess1

 

This board, though, offers the most current information shared by a whole bunch of Princess veterans (not me) who'll tell you like it is...Ask away!

[ahracer]

My first cruise on Princess was my 13th cruise overall. Cruise 14 was on Princess and I'm booking number 15 on Princess today. We are travelling with three kids in Febrauary also. The main reason i've chosen Princess over the others even though it cost more is because of PC dining and the freshwater pools that are always open. For us those two things make a huge difference when travelling with kids. With PC there will be a dining room for traditional fixed seating times and then depending on the ship there will be one or more dining rooms that are anytime dining. Menu is exactly the same. The kids love the option of eating dinner at the Horizon Court buffet also.

 

Scott

[sue d. miller]

Don't let Chris fool you. he is without a doubt, a veteran. He does more research Than a resercher does!!! :eek: He pays attention to all the details on a cruise, and absorbs all information he can find. Check out his website!! http://www.lifeiscruising.com/

[mom2three]

OK, I feel so quilty, I have a confession to make :o ! I have been on the Celebrity board.

As some of you know I have a booking on the Grand Princess for March.

I have seen some post about Celebrity Galaxy sailing 11 nights to Panama out of Galveston and it sure sounds great. I have also checked prices and it's close to what I'm paying now.

Here comes the big BUT, I'm so nervous about taking my kids. We have 3 under 6 yrs. I felt we were pushing it taking them on Princess, would Celebrity be OK for them or us. I did post this to the Celebrity board and received 2 replies.

I'm a past Carnival and RCCL cruiser..

 

I know I have to make my own decision, any nice feedback please!

[Podgieree]

I don't know if Chris will get to read this, but I love it when he responds to a question. He always gives a well thought out and very comprehensive answer. Way to go Chris!

[sue d. miller]

Don't feel guilty. You have to do what you think is best. I have never cruised Celebrity, but I think it is less suited for children. I am sure they have a kids place, but I don't think it is a main focus. The longer the cruise, usually the less children. Do your homework. Check out reviews, and start a post here. I am sure many have sailed her. You will get the answers you need!!! :)

[ahracer]

Ok, I know i'm going to get slammed here but this is my honest opinion. I have been on the Galaxy, it is a very nice ship but I found the Celebrity Experience way too stuffy. The general passengers were pretentious and full of themselves. I'd like to try them again sometime but it won't be with my kids.

 

I found Princess was somewhere between Carnival and Celebrity. Which is just perfect for us.

 

Scott

[CruiseFever]

Sue and Scott took some of the words right out of my mouth.

 

I've not sailed Celebrity but my general opinion (stereotype?) is that it is for an older clientele, it costs more, is boring, has the best food, lots of walkers and scooters and that the kids are few and far between.

 

That's probably way not fair and reminds me of some of the preconceived notions I've had about cruising in general and most recently, Princess.

 

I thought Princess would be mostly old, boring people. I thought that to cruise Carnival you needed to be a binge drinker. Both notions were wrong.

 

My impressions of Celebrity are probably not fair because just a quick check of their web site reveals their Family Program, a four tiered supervised youth program which on the surface looks competitive with Carnival's Camp Carnival or Princess' Princess Kids and Off Limits programs

 

I remember one time in Cozumel, we were at Playa Sol and I got to talking to a really nice guy who was there with his family (including kids) . We had a nice conversation and spent most of the day having a great time. I was almost shocked to find out that they were on the Celebrity ship that had come into port behind us. His kids were having the time of their lives.

 

I think this goes back to the theme that comes up so often: Your cruise is what you make it and a good attitude (like yours) will surely go a long way.

 

There's a family program in place on Celebrity that I'd bet would be just fine...I know those people we met in Cozumel sure were enjoying it.

 

Any reservations I may have had about Princess were thrown overboard earlier this month as we had our best cruise ever, by a long shot, one we'll be hard pressed to repeat. (But we're going to try next summer with a group cruise that everyone I met on this last one is interested in joining)

 

Carnival is supposed to have the "fun ships". I always believed that and had a bunch of great Carnival cruises. But this cruise we took on the Caribbean Princess put Carnival to shame in the fun department. That totally took me by surprise.

 

The key element in that great cruise was the people. The ship doesn't change from week to week, its the passengers that make the difference IMHO.

 

I'd bet that you can have a wonderful time on Celebrity; it IS a cruise afterall and you have just the right attitude to make a great one on any line.

 

If I read you right and its the Panama Canal you're looking at I feel pretty certain that you will find an older average passenger and fewer kids. So the people factor could surely be a big one to consider for you.

 

But to get down to it, reading between the lines it looks to me like you're not totally convinced. I think you're tantalized by the price factor and if its close and I were in your shoes?

 

I'd go with Princess.

 

Did you notice a difference in the feel over there at the Celebrity board?

 

So far it's been my experience that the mood on these boards often is a good example of the mood, clientele, and perceptions onboard the lines they represent.

[mom2three]

Yes, I got the feel of the boards. :eek: I didn't feel welocme.

When I think of going on the GRAND I feel excited, When I think of Celebrity I kind of get a sinking pit in the tummy. :rolleyes: Did I say that? :rolleyes:

 

I guess I just needed my feelings reinforced :o

 

Thanks to all who answered and thank you for being so nice to me on the Princess board.

It's great being able to ask any question with out getting flamed...

 

Brenda

[sue d. miller]

Brenda, I think Celebrity is a notch above Princess in the tux department, if you get my drift. I don't know if anyone remembers my redneck post, but Chris and I are older, tho he could almost be my son, LOL, and we could dress and fit in with the best of them. But I wouldn't choose to. I love the class of Princess, but I love even more, the attitude of Princess. EVERYONE is equal. You can chill, but you can have a blast too!!! You get to choose your mood. But it is for each of us to choose, and try new ships, to see how we like it. But your gut is a clue, if it doesn't feel comfy on the board, chances are it won't improve on the cruise. Just my opinion, guys!!!! :eek:

[imlulu]

I love Celebrity. I have never been on Princess though. However I would not take my kids on Celebrity. If my dh and I decided to vacation without kids I would definitely think about Celebrity. If youa re chosing between Princess and Celebrity I would go with Princess.

As your kids are younger I would seriously think about RCI or Carnival. They really have the best reviews and ratings for kids'programs. My youngest cried on our last cruise when he had to leave Camp Carnival for the last time! My kids chose to skip a trip to Universal/Disney so they could cruise again. Have a great time whatever you choose!

[gouda]

Thanks for all the feedback. It sounds as though the dining and children's programs on Princess are what we're looking for.

 

I can speak to cruising with kids on Celebrity, and it's wonderful. We cruised with children from 3-13 last year, and all had a great time. The kids programs were just slightly (ever so slightly), less comprehensive than RCCL's and Disney's which are fabulous, but the rest of the cruise experience was better (food, service). The entertainment was better on RCCL and Disney, but overall, I prefer X's more lowkey, less frenetic style. I have to agree with some of you about the somewhat, well, pretentious attitude on the X board, where I posted regularly a few years ago, but don't let them fool you. I really liked the onboard attitude and found everyone to be not old, not stuffy and not pretentious. Just everyday people, we all know that the true snobs are sailing Seabourn and Crystal ;) (just joking people).

 

Anyway, back to kids on X. The waiters were excellent, really catered to the kids by serving them quickly, bringing their favorites, bringing dessert early so they could get to the kids clubs, etc., and the kids clubs were very good. Nice staff, well organized, lots of activities and they showered the kids with gifts and freebies. That and the fact that the kids were very unobtrusive because they were so well entertained. We sailed the Mercury over presidents week with over 500 kids onboard but you would never know it.

 

The only reason I won't stick with Celebrity is because I really dislike a set dining time and dressing formally on vacation. If Celebrity went with flexible dining and attire, they would be the perfect cruiseline for us.

[gouda]

Imlulu, Your children didn't like Celebrity? That surprises me, ours loved it. They also cried when we had to disembark on Disney, but that was their first cruise. In our house, the kids overwhelmingly vote for cruising as a family vacation.

[mringenoldus]

Just curious - is there a reason you aren't considering RCCL again? Dining times? I found the Voyager class to be an amazing trip for children of all ages. They have also had a lot of fun on Carnival.

[galelynn]

Gouda, we have sailed on Carnival, RCCL, Princess and Celebrity, but personally we like Princess the best and Celebrity the least. This will be our 7th cruise on Princess with the 8th booked. Grant you we don't have children, but being the teaching field, I feel Carnival and Princess have great programs to keep the young ones happy.

[gouda]

Mrring, I really enjoyed my 2 RCCL cruises, however, they don't offer personal choice or freestyle dining either, and I don't like eating in buffets. As I said, I don't want to eat at a set dining time nor do I like to dress formally on vacation, but I do enjoy good food and table service, which leaves me with Princess or NCL. I tried NCL a few months ago and found it so far below any other cruiseline in terms of quality and customer service, that leaves me with Princess!

 

Also, I have to say, RCL is great for kids and they must know it. Their 3rd and 4th pax prices are the highest I've ever seen.

 

Gale I'm curious, what didn't you like about Celebrity?

[debbue19511972]

Just booked a March 2005 cruise on the Caribbean Princess. It will be our 8th cruise and 2nd on Princess. We are big fans of RCCL and have to admit the best cruise of the 7 was on Celebrity Constellation. A notch above all of them and the least favorite was our one cruise on Dawn Princess about 5 yrs ago. THAT was a stuffy one! Hope we aren't disappointed. It's fun to be able to try different ships. Any comments?

[neildean]

nor do I like to dress formally on vacation, but I do enjoy good food and table service, which leaves me with Princess or NCL. I tried NCL a few months ago and found it so far below any other cruiseline in terms of quality and customer service, that leaves me with Princess!

 

Just to make one point, the same dress code applies to the Personal Choice dining room on Princess. On formal night, its formal in both PC and traditional.

 

Neil

[Reneek]

My son was 16 and my daughter was 12 when we last cruised on Celebrity. While they really enjoy cruising, they felt it was "Too Stuffy". We all had a great time and would go back with them again - however it certainly would not be their first choice nor ours.

[gouda]

Neil,

 

Hmmm, does that mean if I wear a sundress or nice pants and heels and my sons don't wear jackets that we'll be turned away from the PC dining room on Formal night, or does it just mean that a few stiffs are going to get their necks out of joint and have to deal with the fact that we aren't dressed the way they are?

 

In other words, is the formal attire a requirement or a suggestion? If it's the latter, we don't have a problem.

[RNay]

Our extended family just cruised Grand Princess in April. Our kids are 8, 10 & 12. We took them on Disney two years ago, which in our opinion is the absolute best thing going for kids in cruising. We were disappointed with the kids programs on Princess. My husband and I are devoted Princess cruisers, but their kids program leaves a lot to be desired. The hours are restricted too much every day, the facilities too small and uninteresting, and they don't take the kids to meals except in special circumstances. Also, on days in port, kids must be preregistered to attend the program at all. We found this out too late, of course. We still had a great cruise, but it can't compare to Disney. My husband and I have also done Celebrity Constellation, a beautiful cruise to the Southern Caribbean, but I think even less suited for kids. In dining and quality and service, we found Princess to be on or above par to Celebrity.

[mom2three]

Gouda, I bet you didn't know what you were getting into when you posted :D

 

We live in Texas and have a few choices to drive to port. It's expensive paying for 5 of us to cruise :rolleyes:

I wish we could go on the newer RCCL ships, but :rolleyes: Then there is the Carnival Elation, will probaly do that oneday. So much to do , so little time.

 

It was kind of funny when I called a TA to get a rate for the Galaxy, he called it a cheap cruise :eek: OKAY!!!!!!

 

Hey I think I'm rambling. It's been a long day. Lots of info to think about.