What's your #2...?

[tulips*n*truffles]

I'm sure I'll get flamed for this, but I've been reading posts from you all for a long long time and I respect your opinions.

 

After researching some today and seeing what others are paying on different cruise lines for similar itineraries...and knowing how much I really loved my last Princess cruise...

 

Knowing that quality suffers and knowing, again, how much we all love Princess...Do you have a second (cheaper) favorite line?

 

<ducking head and running for cover...>

[spongerob]

We enjoyed Royal Caribbean. It was nice to try something different. RC had it's pluses and minuses, but so does Princess. I still prefer Princess but wouldn't balk at an RC cruise if it was in play.

 

You're on a cruise, on vacation, and meeting new friends to have fun with. Beats work any day no matter the logo on the funnel.

[zacc]

I'm sure I'll get flamed for this, but I've been reading posts from you all for a long long time and I respect your opinions.

 

After researching some today and seeing what others are paying on different cruise lines for similar itineraries...and knowing how much I really loved my last Princess cruise...

 

Knowing that quality suffers and knowing, again, how much we all love Princess...Do you have a second (cheaper) favorite line?

 

<ducking head and running for cover...>

 

Interesting question. I have cruised for less and I have cruised for more on several lines. All have had positives and negatives. However I can honestly say that I believe that dollar for dollar you simply can't beat Princess.

[blazerjan]

I too would vote for RCCL - have only cruised with them twice but both times we were very very happy.

[Coral]

You may want to book Princess and maybe another line and watch and see where the prices go. Who knows what next year brings and there may be price reductions. Just make sure you book with an agent who won't charge you a cancellation fee.

 

I do like HAL but they tend to be more expensive compared to Princess on the last couple of cruises I have looked at.

 

RCCL and Carnival are probably my least favorite and Celebrity is over-rated IMO.

[paul929207]

We go on the more exotic Princess cruises. With 17 cruises on Princess, none have been to the Caribbean, only one to the Mexican Riviera, and two to Alaska. So only HAL offers the cruises we take on Princess.

[steponboard]

Just make sure you book with an agent who won't charge you a cancellation fee.

 

.

Why bother, just book directly with the cruise line and then if you need to call them you can.

[eetonaee]

We enjoy Princess and have another cruise booked with them in June.

 

Last year we found a great deal on a Celebrity cruise in February and if we found a great deal with them I'd take it in a minute.

[Coral]

Why bother, just book directly with the cruise line and then if you need to call them you can.

 

Well - my agent doesn't charge cancellation fees and she discounts the cruises quite a bit. And my agent also has tons of group space on most sailings but group space can fill up so you want to make sure you get booked into group space to get group amenities (like OBC, etc...). If you wait until the very end to transfer the booking to the agent, group space may be gone.

 

So it is just as easy for me to book with an agent as it does with a cruise line but there are more benefits for me booking with an agent - so why would I book with the cruise line?

 

Besides, it sounds like the OP wants to save some money and with Princess, booking with agents who discount can save you plenty of $$$.

[tulips*n*truffles]

You may want to book Princess and maybe another line and watch and see where the prices go. Who knows what next year brings and there may be price reductions. Just make sure you book with an agent who won't charge you a cancellation fee.

 

I do like HAL but they tend to be more expensive compared to Princess on the last couple of cruises I have looked at.

 

RCCL and Carnival are probably my least favorite and Celebrity is over-rated IMO.

 

Wondered why you put RCCL on your "least" list. A couple others have them as a favorite. Just curious.

[billco]

I like Princess. We are about to embark on our ninth Princess cruise next month - TA on the Grand from FLL to London. However, we wanted to do the return TA on the Grand this Fall to take advantage of round trip airfare, but we felt it was just too expensive. Over twice as much. So, we booked a TA this Fall on the NCL Sun from Dover to Port Canaveral for about a third of the cost. Not quite as port intensive, but it is still a cruise.

 

I'll let you know how that works out.

[paul929207]

Why bother, just book directly with the cruise line and then if you need to call them you can.

$$$$$$, We do not pay a cancellation fee and enjoy a considerable savings off the prices on Princess.com.

[tulips*n*truffles]

I too would vote for RCCL - have only cruised with them twice but both times we were very very happy.

 

Can you tell me anything about how RCCL is different from Princess? Cabins...service...perks...shows...anything? I really don't have much to compare to - one cruise total under my belt. More curious than anything.

[Toddy709]

Princess if my favorite first and always -- unless I have to have a balcony -- then it's Celebrity.:D:D:D

[tulips*n*truffles]

Princess if my favorite first and always -- unless I have to have a balcony -- then it's Celebrity.:D:D:D

 

How come?

[Coral]

Wondered why you put RCCL on your "least" list. A couple others have them as a favorite. Just curious.

 

There are a number of reasons. Overall, RCCL tends to be more expensive than Princess but the food quality is not as good. Some of the food was pretty disappointing. I really wish they would spend more money on food and less on the "wow factor". The speciality restaurants were very good.

 

I wasn't impressed with their laid back management style on the ship. For example, we had a gang of kids roaming the ship. We were on a floor with door bells (suites) and there were babies on this floor trying to sleep. These teens kept ringing the door bells and running and waking the babies up and several of us called the Purser's Desk maybe 4-5x and their reaction was "oh kids will be kids" before they decided to send someone up to make sure the kids left the cabins alone. These kids also took over the "adults only pool" and when I asked the RCCL person who was watching them - they said it is just easier to give in then enforce the rules.

 

I am also one who doesn't like to feel like I am at a shopping mall when on a ship. Some love the feeling, I do not. Give me the finer points of a cruise and skip the glitter - just my opinion.

[Toto2Kansas]

I can't say we honestly have a second anymore.

Several years ago we strayed from Princess and tried RCI again, after years of sailing Princess. We had sailed on RCI before, but it had changed so much, we decided that was the last time, as the changes, especially in the food, were not better but much worse.

We were not impressed whatsoever with Celebrity.

HAL was OK, but it just didn't offer the things we were used to on Princess.

Carnival, well, let's just say 'never again' (as you can see in my signature, 5 tries over a period of several years) it doesn't offer us anything we are looking for in a cruise vacation.

 

So, I guess that Princess is it for us. No sense wasting our money on the other cruise lines out there. We are always satisfied in what Princess offers, and I am willing to even pay more for the cruise to stick with what we like.

[cruisesparks21]

There are a number of reasons. Overall, RCCL tends to be more expensive than Princess but the food quality is not as good. Some of the food was pretty disappointing. I really wish they would spend more money on food and less on the "wow factor". The speciality restaurants were very good.

 

I wasn't impressed with their laid back management style on the ship. For example, we had a gang of kids roaming the ship. We were on a floor with door bells (suites) and there were babies on this floor trying to sleep. These teens kept ringing the door bells and running and waking the babies up and several of us called the Purser's Desk maybe 4-5x and their reaction was "oh kids will be kids" before they decided to send someone up to make sure the kids left the cabins alone. These kids also took over the "adults only pool" and when I asked the RCCL person who was watching them - they said it is just easier to give in then enforce the rules.

 

I am also one who doesn't like to feel like I am at a shopping mall when on a ship. Some love the feeling, I do not. Give me the finer points of a cruise and skip the glitter - just my opinion.

 

As I most likely cannot afford Princess' high prices for Europe 2011 cruises, I have been looking around at other lines to use for my wedding/ honeymoon. RCCL seems to be more reasonably priced and seem to be the most comparable to Princess according to reviewers. Granted I have yet to ever take a cruise but I am going off what I can read from others and prices to make up for my lack of experience.

[Coral]

As I most likely cannot afford Princess' high prices for Europe 2011 cruises, I have been looking around at other lines to use for my wedding/ honeymoon. RCCL seems to be more reasonably priced and seem to be the most comparable to Princess according to reviewers. Granted I have yet to ever take a cruise but I am going off what I can read from others and prices to make up for my lack of experience.

 

It doesn't matter to me who you sail with - I have cruised a bunch of lines and RCCL is one of my least favorite. Ironically - of my cruising friends, most of them won't sail RCCL again. They have been burned too many times with RCCL and being disappointed once onboard. Those these friends are not the type to be wowed by a flow rider or Johnny Rockets onboard.

 

Pricing is something to look at. For example, agents can discount Princess prices "easily". RCCL is a bit more tricky. Princess prices seem to start higher but they lower the prices if the ship isn't selling as quickly as they expect. In the end, it seems RCCL is usually higher than Princess. But things this year definitely changed as RCCL is having a difficult time filling their ships, especially with the Oasis out there.

 

If you are looking at a wedding onboard - Princess is definitely going to score higher marks as I don't think RCCL can do wedding when the ship is sailing (unless something has changed that I haven't kept up with). If you are looking at your honeymoon - I would let the itinerary be the determining factor in Europe.

[Pam in CA]

I've taken RCCL several times and think that while they're "OK," they're not in the same league in terms of food, service and overall quality. If you're looking for a "cheaper" cruiseline, you'll get what you pay for.

 

More recently, I've taken several HAL cruises and have one coming up next week. (Yay!) When I choose a cruise / itinerary, I look at the ports, prices and available cabins. A good TA that gets group rates on select sailings will always be cheaper than booking directly through Princess, often significantly so. For me, the trick has been to book early; almost always, the pricing has been the best that way. My TA is now getting me good pricing on HAL so I'm booking those cruises through her as well.

 

The most important thing is to do your research and don't hesitate to get quotes from multiple sources.

[LovetheSea]

I have been on a few cruise lines, Norwegian and Carnival are my "least" favorite. I think you can get a good cruise on Holland America ( the newer ships) and RCCL, Princess. I think the Mariner of the Seas was on par with the Crown Princess experience. My favorite is Celebrity, but they have gone up so much in price, I don't think they are so much better. I do miss the Grand Buffet that is missing on Princess. If I were you, I would stick with RCCL or Holland America. If not Princess of course.

[mr green]

HAL is quite good, but no cheaper than Princess.

 

john

[Coral]

HAL is quite good, but no cheaper than Princess.

 

john

 

Lately they seem higher on the cruises I have looked at. There are some things I really like about HAL.

[Umbarger]

My favorite is whatever cruiseline I'm on at the time. Been on many cruises. Loved them all.

[DonnaK]

Our #2 is actually Princess. Our #1 is Royal Caribbean