Livabeth Posted August 19, 2007 #1 Share Posted August 19, 2007 We are currently looking to book a cruise for our family of 4 (me, dh, dd8, dd4) and are trying to decide between two different cruise ships for next Jan/Feb 2008 (Eastern Caribbean). Can you please share any experiences with either RCI Mariner of the Seas or Princess Caribbean cruise ships?? Both have their pros and cons. I want great kids facilities and programs, but also want quiet family time, ability to eat when we feel like it and a clean, nice ship. Which one would you chose?? Any feedback would be great. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mumeof3 Posted August 20, 2007 #2 Share Posted August 20, 2007 We have not been on either but we are doing a princess with our 2 youngest children 11 and 15 in November,personally if we were not going with a group of families that love the princess line I would have done Royal because they seem to have alot more for the kids. The families we are going with like that Princess has a cap on how many children are on board,they like that it is not like Carnival with lots of Partying{again since we have kids}... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lizi116 Posted August 22, 2007 #3 Share Posted August 22, 2007 We recently came off the Caribbean Princess for our first cruise. The was plenty to do for the kids (12 & 9). The kids club had plenty of activities that they enjoyed. They also spent time with us at the pools. They loved the Movies under the Stars at night. SOme of the shows were also great for families. Ship was very clean and never felt crowded. In my opinion the anytime dining is an excellent option for dinner, I don't think RCI offers it. I had never even heard of Princess until my travel agent recommende it. You will not be disappointed!!!:) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mumeof3 Posted August 22, 2007 #4 Share Posted August 22, 2007 We recently came off the Caribbean Princess for our first cruise. The was plenty to do for the kids (12 & 9). The kids club had plenty of activities that they enjoyed. They also spent time with us at the pools. They loved the Movies under the Stars at night. SOme of the shows were also great for families. Ship was very clean and never felt crowded. In my opinion the anytime dining is an excellent option for dinner, I don't think RCI offers it. I had never even heard of Princess until my travel agent recommende it. You will not be disappointed!!!:) Thanks I guess I should be all set then:o but we are doing traditional dining because there are so many in our group and it works out better for us..We are early eaters anyway Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paumavista Posted August 24, 2007 #5 Share Posted August 24, 2007 What I love about most RC ships is the "separate" kids pool areas. Unfortunately Mariner is one of the few RC ships that does NOT have this separate area. One way to encourage kids to enjoy the pool area and NOT bother the adults in the hots tubs etc is to provide a "separate" area for them! My kids love the water.....the play areas and programs on RC were excellent (as I hear they are also on Princess) but the separate water play areas were the deciding factor for us. I also believe BOTH Princess and RC keep their kids clubs open all day on Shore days - LOVE that feature! Judy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
741323 Posted August 30, 2007 #6 Share Posted August 30, 2007 Princess kids club only runs limited hours and on port days the activities are a bit screen based. We thought the counsellors were lazy and often didn't run the scheduled activities (which our son had looked forward to) - under the excuse - the kids didn't want to do it.... Have no experience of RCI although there seems to be more for the sporty types... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ymann Posted August 30, 2007 #7 Share Posted August 30, 2007 We went on the mariner of the sea a few years ago...it was great they had an ice rink that you could use during the day and then at night the ice shows were fabulous. they even had parades in the promenade shopping area. it was a lot of fun. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
crusinmama06 Posted August 30, 2007 #8 Share Posted August 30, 2007 Click the link in my signature and you can see the different kid activities for each cruiseline. I've never done Princess. But I always hear rave reviews about Mariner. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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