Misspaigenicole96

Hi there

 

I see you are saying you " aren't really interested in cruising Carnival at this time". I would ask, why not?

 

It just narrows your choice. It is your first cruise after all, you can't have any pre conceived expectations. We happened to have sailed with Carnival to Hawaii two years ago and had a great time. It was 15 day from Long Beach, with 5 port stops in Hawaii and a stop on the next to last day in Ensenada. We chose it mainly for the price but also for the itinerary and timing.

 

All I'm saying is don't restrict your choices unless you have a good reason. By the way, longer cruises like this just normally attract an older crowd, when you select a cruise line that "normally" attracts an older crowd on top of that...just saying...don't be surprised if you find yourself the youngest people on the ship. :D Just kidding, there are always some younger families with children, but some cruise lines are less likely to attract them because of onboard amenities.

 

Since you are new to cruise critic, take the time to check out the threads dedicated to each of the cruise lines you are considering and make sure to spend some time looking at the "port of call" threads there is a thread for Hawaii that will give you much valuable information. When you are doing this be sure to look at the time of year you might be travelling in regards to what you would like to do while in Hawaii (you didn't mention if you have already narrowed down when you wanted to travel)

 

happy hunting and

have a great cruise

I say I'm not really interested in Carnival because most of the reviews or videos I see of Carnival cruises have a lot of kids and it's chaos. I didn't want that for a first cruise experience. But I will look into it again, and I will thank you!

We took a Holland America cruise out of San Diego to the Mexican Riviera in October. At the time we were in our mid 30s. It was definitely a more mature crowd and we felt a bit more snooty. We enjoyed our cruise and we went to the shows and what not but definitely a different vibe from the princess cruises we are used to. I never felt out of place or stared at on princess but yet even on formal night when I was in a full floor length gown there were older women on there that looked at me like I didn't belong...I compare it to the look that Jack got when he was on the "Upper decks" on Titanic. Even simply laying by the pool people looked at us like we belonged below...and all we were doing was lounging on the chair. So I started to look around and most of the people were out there in designer swimwear and all the fabulous jewelry...so perhaps they thought us in our normal swimwear with no designer name on it and not wearing any jewelry were lower class. After the first couple days I got over that..it was their issue not mine I paid my fare just as they did. But in general we didn't feel that they were overly chatty or friendly. Even our table mates were reserved and didn't chat much. Where on princess I am always finding and meeting new people and have made several friends I still keep in contact with. My choice would be Princess...if the price doesn't matter and the itinerary is the same my vote would be for Princess. The other aspect is on Princess they use calm colors, lots of creams blues soft tones. We were on the Oosterdam and it was lots of bright orange, red yellows. Also had a very European or Ikea feel with the furnishings...but again this is just our thoughts and take on our 1 cruise. Hope this helps

Hmm, will take that into consideration, thank you for your input!

At your age, Princess is the better choice. Both Holland America and Princess cater to older crowds but the entertainment and activities on Princess are far better than HAL.

 

I think HAL is better regarding spacious accommodations, décor and crowding, but that's about it. It's a ghost ship come 10:00.

Ok that's something I was definelty worried about. Thank you!

Hey everybody!

Okay, so my boyfriend and I are planning our first cruise together, my first cruise ever. And I am having the hardest time trying to decide between the two. Celebrity and Norwegian aren't a huge option because we need something roundtrip out of the US. And we aren't really interested in cruising Carnival at this time.

I have read mixed reviews that Holland caters to an older crowd and Princess to a younger one. Is this true and should we take this into consideration since he is 28 and I'm 21?

Any tips and knowledge on the lines/ships would be greatly appreciated!

(We are thinking of sailing to Hawaii for our first cruise and want it to be 10+ days!) We are planning in advance so money isn't a huge concern either.

Hey everybody!

Okay, so my boyfriend and I are planning our first cruise together, my first cruise ever. And I am having the hardest time trying to decide between the two. Celebrity and Norwegian aren't a huge option because we need something roundtrip out of the US. And we aren't really interested in cruising Carnival at this time.

I have read mixed reviews that Holland caters to an older crowd and Princess to a younger one. Is this true and should we take this into consideration since he is 28 and I'm 21?

Any tips and knowledge on the lines/ships would be greatly appreciated!

(We are thinking of sailing to Hawaii for our first cruise and want it to be 10+ days!) We are planning in advance so money isn't a huge concern either.

Hey everybody!

Okay, so my boyfriend and I are planning our first cruise together, my first cruise ever. And I am having the hardest time trying to decide between the two. Celebrity and Norwegian aren't a huge option because we need something roundtrip out of the US. And we aren't really interested in cruising Carnival at this time.

I have read mixed reviews that Holland caters to an older crowd and Princess to a younger one. Is this true and should we take this into consideration since he is 28 and I'm 21?

Any tips and knowledge on the lines/ships would be greatly appreciated!

(We are thinking of sailing to Hawaii for our first cruise and want it to be 10+ days!) We are planning in advance so money isn't a huge concern either.