Planning a Princess/HAL/Carnival/RCCL comparison.

[BigDave]

I've gone nuts!

 

I've signed up for a fourth cruise scheduled within the same 3 month period.

 

First I booked a back to back to compare Carnival/RCCL next Feb.

Then I added a Princess Cruise at the end of November to celebrate a special occasion.

Then I spotted an unbelievably good deal when HAL was shifting schedules and grabbed it!

 

This will put me in a temporary deficit, but I'm willing to take the hit just this once!

 

It does round out my planned comparison of non RCCL cruise lines though, if a tad faster than I had planned.

 

Can anyone comment on activities or tips for the following ships/cruise lines?

(I know Valor hasn't sailed yet)

 

Caribbean Princess, E Carib. 11/27/2004

HAL Oosterdam, E Carib. 1/2/2005

Valor, W. Carib. 2/6/2005

Radiance, E. Carib 2/13/2005

 

BigDave

[big al]

BigDave-I am a PT cruise agent and have sailed or visited over 30 ships.Remember that opinions are just those,so here goes.My favorite is Princess,I believe they have the best "package"...meaning overall,I like them best for food,service,entertainment,ship decor,etc.HAL has nice new ships but I have heard entertainment is mediocre and the ship is dead by 11 PM;also rememnber the average age on HAL (like Celebrity) is death...Carnival is vastly improved and very unfairly deemed as only "party cruises".While they do tend to have more party-goers,the new ships are beautiful and the Valor will be no exception.I just sailed The Triumph,undoubtedtly the best fun ship in their fleet.Had a great time.RCL has their mega ships and they are both stunning and fun.I also like NCL with their free-style

cruising concept.I loved the NCL Sun and the NCL Dawn out of NY is fabulous.I like variety and options and good nightly entertainment which leaves out Celebrity and HAL.That's my experience with those ships and cruise co's...

I wish I had all those choices..have fun!

Big Al

[Host Kewlguy]

Stay away from Carnival.

[cruiserforlife]

Having only sailed Princess,RCL and Celebrity,I would have to agree with big al and say Princess has the best overall "package" which encompasses the food/decor/entertainment/service/and diversity of guests then the other lines mentioned.

 

Remember one thing:If you sail on cruises longer than 10 days,you'll see the average age of the clientele rise dramatically.

 

Come to think of it,the average age of the cruisers on our 15-day Panama Canal cruise was close to "death"!

 

"a bad day at sea is better than a great day at work and a lousy day at sea is still pretty damn good!"

[jezzdogg]

Having sailed Celebrity, Princess and RCCL. What makes good horse racing is everyone has an opinion. Celebrity by far has the best best food and service of the three, RCCl has the best entertainment, (however, with Celebrity teaming up with Cirus de Soleil, and having them on board some of the ships- that could be interesting. Princess has really downgraded, if you like movies - they are the ship for you. WE were on the new "Coral" Princess and while we had a great group of people, the service, and entertainment left a LOT to be desired. We never got out of dinner before 10-10:30 pm because the waiter staff are slow and over worked, too many table- no bar or wine service - they have to do it all, so service was slow and sometimes the food arrived cold. Entertainment consisted of one person playing the steel drums at the pool and pre=recorded music at the shows for the singers and dancer who then lipsync. Have not been on Hal or Carnival (my son has who is 31 - my dh and I are 55) and he did not think such of it, We are going back to stay on Celebrity(first choice) and RCCL depends on iternary, etc.

 

norm

[momofmeg]

Before I cruised Miracle back in April this is how I rated the 4 lines. Princess,RCCL, Carnival,HAL. After cruising Miracle though I found Miracle was every bit as good as my one Princess cruise. I am planning to book a cruise on Mariner this fall and hope I have the same experience that the nicer newer ships on a cruiseline are better when it comes to food, choices of entertainment and service. I am sure your Valor cruise will be great as Carnival pulled out all the stops for Miracle which had only been sailing 6 weeks when we cruised her. We had like 5 choices of live entertainment every evening, a nostalgia rock band, a country music singer and guitar player, a jazz band and a classical band in different lounges besides the shows of comedians and the Los Vegas style shows.

 

One thing about HAL-she had great food and her Los Vegas styles shows were really top notch but besides that and gambling-very little activities going on and we really found her sedate. The ship was beautiful though and really classic with lots of really nice antiques displayed every where. I have not seen another ship decorated so expensively.

 

Carnival Tropicale 10/15/98 Western Caribbean

RCCL Sovereign of the Seas 11/22/99 Bahamas

Carnival Fascination 09/23/00 Southern caribbean

HAL Statendam 05/20/01 Alaska

RCCL Sovereign of the Seas 11/08/01 Bahamas

Pacific Princess 09/29/02 Bermuda

Carnival Inspiration 12/14/03 Western caribbean

Carnival Miracle 04/09/04 Bahamas

[BigDave]

Thanks folks!

 

I expect to enjoy them all.

 

I'm taking my somewhat handycapped brother on the HAL cruise, so slow might not be bad.

 

I'll also be in a inside cabin for the first time on HAL. My wife is afraid of getting seasick or claustrophobic so we haven't used one. Since interior cabins on newer ships can be in the same range as outside newer (~180 sq ft) I'll see how small it seems and if it's worth prodding my wife to try a 'inside special' some day.

Of course if she does get seasick or claustrophobic she'd make me feel it.

*BigDave considers if the risk is worth it*

 

BigDave

 

Enchantment 10/2002, Rhapsody 4/2004.

Caribbean Princess, E Carib. 11/27/2004

HAL Oosterdam, E Carib. 1/2/2005

Valor, W. Carib. 2/6/2005, Radiance, E. Carib 2/13/2005