KKB

Curious--you couldn't play Pickleball anytime? Have sailed Princess & NCL out of Galveston--each time the drink package began as soon as we were in international water, an hour or 2 after departure. Is Carnival different?

Absolutely no way to know... One never knows when these rewards will go...or return...or when they will extend the dates.

LOL it shows that you have not tried other lines! Have done silent disco on Celebrity, Carnival & RCCL. We LOVE it--I can dance to the song I like & DH the one he likes. And just as much fun to watch as dance...always interesting group dynamics. Thx for this review--we have the Sun booked in 2 years. I booked a cabana mini-suite as I got an incredible price...strange, tho, I'm certain I clicked Princess Plus, but NOT on the reservation! So will likely switch to a cheaper cabin. Not sure we would like that set up either.

Still do announcements in several languages. Agree, overall, food wasn't that great (huh--I LOVE food in Italy!) Except pizza--AMAZING. Chairs are usually fairly packed in on most cruises... Service--other than some dinners, happy to say, I had exceptional bar & server service. Chatted them up; they knew I was solo--they took care of me.

Good question...having sailed MSC, I'm not sure what they mean either...

Order what you want. Bartenders know what package you have, and what drinks fall under each package. They will let you know if it is over, and whether you want to pay the difference or go with a different drink that falls under your plan. If you order above the limit of your package, they will charge you the difference. And each alcoholic drink counts as 1 (and only 1) against your 15 daily drinks. (They won't give you a better liquor & count 2 towards your daily limit)

Unfortunately inaugural sailings are a risk--they just might not be ready to sail. And even if they sail, it is likely they will still be working out issues. And booking B2B2B out of the inaugural--sadly, that compounded it. I have always thought an inaugural would be fun...but MAYBE NOT. Sorry this all happened to you. Hoping Princess is paying attention.

Sailed the Breakaway in August w/ DD & it was fantastic! Food good to very good, in MDR, specialty, buffet. (yes, some things better than others, as always) Never had an issue getting a seat for theatre shows, arriving 10 min. early or so (now, I might not get my FAVORITE seat...but seats always available) Syds--gotta line up early, just how it is. Not a fan of game shows in the Plaza--seating can be a challenge even early--but it is what it is. Cruises are more crowded now. If you don't like the crowds or waiting (as I don't), you learn what to do to avoid them--dine at the beginning or end of B/L/D hours; find those quiet corners to read or play a game; show up a bit early to get a seat for the things you REALLY want to do. When you find a server who gives you great service--give them a few $ tip & keep asking for them/coming back to their bar. As @graphicguy said, complainers are MUCH more likely to write a review. (I tend to write mine on the boards...guess I should on the review area as well) Look for PATTERNS of complaints. If everyone is complaining about different things, I ignore it (just a bunch of whiners--goodness knows we have all encountered them). But if you see 1 or 2 of the same things complained about over & over--pay attention. Are those things deal breakers for you? That should help your decision.

Huh. Divina out of FL last Feb. B2B Plenty of rudeness to go around. I remember talking with a guy from Illinois & he asked "Is it just me, or are there an awful lot of rude people on this cruise?" I agreed...We had just gotten off a tender where people began to stand & walk for the exit before the tender was even at the ship much less stopped. They were told to sit down for everyone's safety & so the captain could see where to go. They sat for maybe 20 seconds...then just did it again. I remember trying to walk around the deck above the pool...impossible to do w/o zig zagging around loungers. They were pulled anywhere & everywhere. I had never seen such a thing.

Good to know--I usually upgrade myself for the wine choices but DH is a beer guy. Will be cheaper to pay a few $ a day for upcharge for me. I agree they keep raising prices plus dropping gratuities on AI...I need a pretty good deal to pull the trigger even if they are my fav.

I didn't find the menu anymore Italian focused than other lines. It DOES have the best pizza at sea!

I think it was the out of NYC thing--heard lots of bad experiences on MSC out of there; Carnival Venezia too. Again, not sure why. We sailed RCCL out of NYC & not strange issues. Why is Celebrity in your rear view? Eclass ships are our fav for sure. Tho generally these days Princess & NCL are winning--with Princess Plus & free at Sea, the others just can't compare once you add perks. Celebrity I watch for good deals...

For sure. But MSC took it to a new level. I observed SO SO many self-absorbed people with no regard for others (common courtesy) Happens at all price points. But I’ve never seen it this extensive—slamming trays in others’ backs in buffet (on purpose), walking down stairs 2 at a time when others wanted to walk up, walking into elevators without allowing others off, ignoring safety protocols on tenders even when reprimanded by crew, physically moving other peoples’ children aside. These things happen. But these were the NORM. Observed these behaviors (and many others) OVER & OVER .As I said, I was astounded. Not worth the cheap fare for me. I’d rather pay a bit more & travel a bit less.

Used to be my attitude. Then I tried MSC...even after I read the reviews (which I always take with a grain of salt but when you see a pattern, then pay attention) It is a great price point. I saw places I've never been. Crew was great. But both in the Caribbean & Europe (B2B each...so essetially 4 cruises), the vast lack of common courtesy by far too many passengers was astounding. Don't get me wrong--if you travel w/ the masses (as most of us do), there will be jerks along the way. There were just MANY jerks. On every cruise! (with 2 entirely different demographics). I could only attest it to a culture that seems to belong to MSC. (and yes, that was the complaint pattern in the reviews). (40+ cruises over 20 years on most mainstream lines under my belt, so plenty to compare to) I decided I'd rather pay a bit more for other lines.

Fair. I very much attempt to squeeze every penny out of every dollar we make. I've just learned as I've gotten older there are things I don't mind paying for. Helps that my budget allows a little more wiggle room than 20 years ago. Actually the Joy isn't an older ship--just 7 years old, Breakaway Plus class.

I admit I prefer the Getaway & Breakaway class ship design better overall-mostly better flow. (except the casino & smoke...blech) But Prima has some things I like better over those as well--Indulge, Deck 8 pools. If I could pick & choose the things I love from each ship I sail, I'd have the perfect ship!

I was worried about this after our Encore cruise in Dec. of 2022. Shows were being cut...and this cruise was definitely short staffed. Waits for everything, crew clearly stretched thin. We thought--this is the way the wind is blowing. LUCKILY DD & I had the Breakaway already booked for Aug 2023 to the Med. NONE of the issues from the Encore were apparent (other than the cutting of the Broadway shows fleetwide). DH & I sailed the Prima in January--the food & drinks were the best we have had on our 6 NCL cruises & our Los Lobos meal surprisingly is one of the top 5 meals we have ever had on a ship. We travel a lot. I learned a long time ago never to pass judgement on any brand after a one-off. Tried MSC for 12 days in Feb & thought "meh, not crazy abou this line" Had them booked for 20 days in May already. After those 20 days I've determined it isn't my cup of tea. Might be for others. The beauty of cruising is that there are many options for all kinds of tastes.

OK the SIMPLE answer is... Compare prices of the cruises you want, with the perks you want. If you end up cruising more, you may find certain lines/ships/perks/itineraries are preferable to you, and you might pay more for those you prefer. Or you may prefer to spend less & cruise more. Or as with us, you might start spending less...and as time goes by, you may shift your priorities. And those priorities might even shift cruise by cruise!

I hung out with a gal from near Atlanta most of both cruises...but she & her daughter hit Hawaii on the way over, but not that much time in Sydney--when I saw Atlanta I thought it was her!!

Grand Plaza Cafe=Cafe Al Bacio. I have never seen sandwiches here, only pastries. Otherwise everything you list is correct--there is a pizza place at the back of the buffet from 11AM until late. Not a huge fan of buffet except for breakfast (particularly love the omelet station). BUT I will say that I find the quality of the buffet on Eclass to be very good. I do recommend trying it once before passing judgement.

Celebrity & Princess are our 2 fav lines, in that order. We find them VERY comparable, particularly the older ships as you are mentioning. These 2 ships are nearly the same age, both refurbished 4-5 years ago. Summit is a bit smaller/fewer passengers. Sailed the Sapphire summer of 2022. Have not sailed Summit, but have sailed same class, Constellation (same class), twice--it was our 1st Celebrity cruise & made us a fan. EVERYTHING is comparable, including rooms. Princess standard balconies don't have a sofa (but has DH says--all we use it for is to toss clothes on...), but I like how Princess' closets are set up--it opens toward the bathroom as opposed to the room which creates a sort of dressing room. Closet is HUGE. Yes, It does make bedroom area a bit smaller. But we aren't in our room much anyway. Interiors are slightly smaller, but not cramped like NCL Breakaway class! Food--shows--activities...no discernible difference. We did MX Riviera in October some years ago & I was surprised how cool it was (considering all my cruises prior had only been in the Caribbean) Regarding price--I would likely choose the Princess if it is cheaper. If you are adding AI on Celebrity vs. Princess Plus on Princess, remember that Princess includes gratuities & Celebrity does not any longer. Agree w/ above post--I have to pay to upgrade Celebrity's drink plan to get wine & liquor brands I like. DH is perfectly fine as he mostly drinks beer & frozen drinks.

This isn't a fair comparison. New ships typically cost more to sail. Balconies cost more to sail--even solo balconies. You can uncheck the specialty dining & not pay for the tips for that Free at Sea--but honestly it is a great value. You are wrong about the NCL drink package--it covers everything except specialty coffee & "boxed" water. I find the specialty coffee package too high for me--$5/day to buy my Starbucks is fine. If you compared an older NCL ship sailing an interior room, you will likely prices to be more comparable. Having sailed 40+ cruises in 20 years on most mainstream lines, I compare prices A LOT. We find difference between various ships more than various lines (overall). It IS important to consider all the things you would (or would not) pay for on a cruise. Have you looked at MSC? I wasn't a big fan, but their prices tend be VERY competative.

Wish I knew. Got our 1st free one via FB--ad saying if I sent my casino card I might get a free cruise. (it was a broad offer...3-14 days, AK, Europe, Caribbean, MX, Hawaii) Interior, drinks free in casino. Did 2 weeks in Hawaii in January--our 1st Carnival cruise. Offers have been a bit less, but a number of $100 offerings. Blew it & didn't book 30 day Sydney-Japan-Alaska cruise for that price. Earned about 2K in 8 days & 4K in 12 days last month. That was about a $2K bankroll combined. Offers have all but dried up. (we only look at 8+ days--suggestion of Carnival crew) Obviously mine is a very limited experience.

Nope. Got some tape & a splint at a pharmacy in Sydney. Its pretty good now...full range of motion. Bet we met--where are you from?

Older ships--comparable to Princess. Newer Eclass? (Apex, Edge, Beyond, Ascent), a step above. Been cruising 20 years; started on Princess--clearly it started an obsession. Tried Celebrity 10 yrs ago & felt food & service were a LITTLE better than other lines. (truly, a little) But once we sailed Eclass--well, they are my fav ships to sail!