Difference Between Princess and Carnival

[Ima Cruiser]

So I did my first Carnival last month. There are some immediately noticeable differences.

 

The beds on Carnival are awesome; Princess not so much so.

The kids on Carnival were not even noticeable which says a lot about the parents and the programs - thanks Parents for bringing well behaved little ones. On Princess - especially during holidays and spring breaks the kids are very prevalent.

The entertainment on Carnival was really good overall - Princess can have some 'dead' nights from time to time.

The Lido buffet area is very congested on Princess and on Carnival they had "food stations" which lessened the crowding - but the food was not very good at all.

Carnival had the singing waiters which can be interruptive and annoying. And on Carnival you cannot reserve a time for any time dining, whereas you can on Princess.

The wine policy on Princess is outstanding. 2 bottles at embarkation and each port for each passenger. Carnival's policy is 1 standard size bottle per person at embarkation only.

Our cabin steward on Carnival was on a different planet - left an empty beer bucket in our cabin one day, no ship paper the next, we asked for a "do no disturb" sign the first day and never got one. Never had issues of the sort on Princess.

Staff on both ships in general were always very friendly and helpful. The big differences though in my eyes were the formal nights (really not formal at all on Carnival) and the food - Princess was far superior in that area.

[hubofhockey]

Seems to me that the only people who rave about Princess cruises have never sailed with anyone else.

We have just returned from a two week caribbean cruise on Sea Princess which is now the subject of a complaints letter telling them of 8 things they do not do as well as they should.

For our next cruise probably around Hawaii I will be looking at other lines..

 

Not true on your first point. We have been on two other lines and prefer Princess. But I can see that it is not for everybody. That's not a bad thing.

 

Good luck with your Great Eight Complaint letter and have fun in Hawaii. Most of us find one or two cruise lines that are good fits for us. You may just find yours on your Hawaii cruise.

[Toto2Kansas]

Seems to me that the only people who rave about Princess cruises have never sailed with anyone else.

We have just returned from a two week caribbean cruise on Sea Princess which is now the subject of a complaints letter telling them of 8 things they do not do as well as they should.

For our next cruise probably around Hawaii I will be looking at other lines..

As you can see from my signature, we have sailed all but NCL in the main stream cruise line category. We tried them all, and came back to Princess each time, as we find it offers the most consistantly good overall cruise value. Have we had a few things in the past that didn't go quite right on Princess? Sure we have, but we have had small problems with other cruise lines also. But we have never found a problem large enough on Princess to keep us from returning, over and over again, in fact, 27 times to date with 28 coming up fast.

The one thing we don't do is to dwell on the small things that take place, (and we definitely don't keep a count of little things we don't find they do well enough), as nothing is absolutely perfect anymore. And we don't let a few small complaints ruin our cruise. Best of luck on whatever cruise line you decide to try next. ;)

[NH Cruisers]

the frenetic party atmosphere, hairy chest contests, belly-flopping exhibits...

 

I recall the above on the Caribbean Princess in 2006.

[NH Cruisers]

Hmmm. I wonder where you got that seemingly thin-airish notion.

 

Seems to me, given the relative age and income level of the average passengers on the lines (a rickety generalization, I know), that would be more true of Carnival fans than Princessites. Or at least that Carnival fans would be more likely to be comparing their cruises to NCL's, Princessites to X's.

Having just sailed on Holland-America, Celebrity compares well, not Princess. There were a lot more walkers, canes, wheelchairs and electric scooters on the Celebrity Solstice than the average nursing home. Much more than on Holland-America. With that said, that was a great cruise and the Solstice was a great ship.

[Smee]

They would not need to be that good to be better than Princess.......:eek:

[COMBOY]

Hello,

I have been on two previous Carnival cruises (Inspiration and Dream) and have enjoyed both of them. I am looking at seven day Caribbean cruises out of Fort Lauderdale in December and found a very reasonably priced cruise on the Grand Princess. I was wondering if anyone could explain to me the differences between the two lines in areas such as food, entertainment, staterooms, teen programs, etc. I have enjoyed the fun, upbeat style of Carnival and was wondering if Princess would offer the same, or similar experience. Should I try Princess or stay loyal to Carnival? Any opinions are appreciated.

 

If your happy with Carnival then stick with Carnival. Comparing Carnival to Princess is like comparing different car makes. Ford is not like GM. There both well established cruise company and that provide a good quality cruise vacation, but they are very different in many ways. If you want a fun, upbeat cruise style then Princess is not for you. Princess offers a more refined upscale cruise experience. It will have a older clientele with the Caribbean sailings getting more diverse set of folks, but nothing like Carnival. Read the reviews here on Cruisecritic on the Grand Princess. Throw out the best reviews and the worst reviews and focus on the middle of the road reviews for both ships. That should give you a basic understanding on what to expect. You can try Princess as long as you do your homework and have realistic expectation that if won't be like Carnival. Maybe you'll like Princess better. Only you can determine that for yourself. The worst case scenario is you don't care for Princess and go back to Carnival. Personally, I've been on most every major cruise line and no matter what ship I've been on I've always had a great time. Some people are unfortunately very inflexible and should stick with what they know and want. Lastly, never purchase a cruise alone on price unless your comparing apples to apples. You're comparing apples to oranges. You should purchase a cruise based upon the type of cruising style you want and then look for pricing.

[Wesley Cruise]

Thanks every one for your help. I feel that I need to tell you a little more about my vacation plans in helping me choose a ship. I'm looking at Grand Princess departing December 17th for $549 per person compared to Carnival Freedom $579 per person. After reading your comments, it seems that both lines have there advantages and disadvantages. I would enjoy the better service and larger pools on Princess. However, the relaxed atmosphere described in the comments worries me. I will be traveling with a teenager (16). I enjoy the shows on Carnival as they have been the highlights of some of my previous cruises. I'm afraid that we might be bored on Princess. I'm in no way a "party animal" or anything but is there still on board activities and entertainment that offer a "fun" experience on Princess? The major selling point for the Princess cruise are its ports Aruba, Curacao, and Princess Cay. Also, after hearing many positive comments about Royal Caribbean, I found a 5 night cruise on Liberty of The Seas for $499 per person. Would it really be worth it for a five day cruise? I know I'm all over the place but your comments have really helped me out :)

[Ima Cruiser]

They would not need to be that good to be better than Princess.......:eek:

 

Smee - this thread is comparing Princess to Carnival - have you done Carnival?

 

Or are you just here to complain? Because that's off topic (and getting stale frankly)

[hubofhockey]

Thanks every one for your help. I feel that I need to tell you a little more about my vacation plans in helping me choose a ship. I'm looking at Grand Princess departing December 17th for $549 per person compared to Carnival Freedom $579 per person. After reading your comments, it seems that both lines have there advantages and disadvantages. I would enjoy the better service and larger pools on Princess. However, the relaxed atmosphere described in the comments worries me. I will be traveling with a teenager (16). I enjoy the shows on Carnival as they have been the highlights of some of my previous cruises. I'm afraid that we might be bored on Princess. I'm in no way a "party animal" or anything but is there still on board activities and entertainment that offer a "fun" experience on Princess? The major selling point for the Princess cruise are its ports Aruba, Curacao, and Princess Cay. Also, after hearing many positive comments about Royal Caribbean, I found a 5 night cruise on Liberty of The Seas for $499 per person. Would it really be worth it for a five day cruise? I know I'm all over the place but your comments have really helped me out :)

 

I'd take the 5-day Liberty of the Seas cruise and spend an extra day in Florida. Those southern Caribbean cruises have a lot of sea days. If you are worried about getting bored, that's not the way to go. That class of ship on RCI has all of the bells and whistles that teens love (along with many other teens).

[coops]

Smee,

Have you really cruised all the lines as you say . If you have you would know about the 15 percent added to the all beverage purchases. Instead of bad mouthing Princess either tell us what where all 8 of your complaints where instead of saying nothing. You might get more compassion if they are valid complaints.

Dawn

[Surfingmouse]

We have cruised on Carnival, Princess, Royal and Holland. We often call Carnival the Wal-Mart of cruising. But sometimes you have to go to Wal-Mart for the pricing. It's just depending what you want, party or calm.

[Ima Cruiser]

We have cruised on Carnival, Princess, Royal and Holland. We often call Carnival the Wal-Mart of cruising. But sometimes you have to go to Wal-Mart for the pricing. It's just depending what you want, party or calm.

 

 

I agree; but I found my ship tab to be higher on Carnival than Princess (excluding spa and tour activities) due to Carnival's strigent alcohol policy - we spend a lot less on Princess since they let you bring almost much wine as you can drink on board.

[sempronialou]

We're about to find out the difference between the 2 lines as we're trying Carnival this summer. Both cruises we've took so far were on Princess. We love Princess. The ships are beautiful, the food is pretty good (I can't compare to anything else), and it's very relaxing. We're not into the big productions. The shows are okay. I've seen better at home in the theater and prefer that, but I enjoyed the small venues with the comedians.

 

My thing is that I felt like the activities didn't last very long. You'd get to trivia and it's over a half hour later. You want to do karaoke, get there early and sign up for a slot or you won't get a chance to sing. Plus if you have late seating dinner, you miss half of it. And it lasts an hour. If you're into night life, Princess doesn't offer a lot. If you want to dance with a live band, it'll only last for a short time.

 

On the plus side, I really enjoyed the international cafe, vines, premium coffee bar, and little shows the put on in the piazza throughout the day. We enjoyed going to Vines for a glass of wine and some sushi (free) before we went to late seating dinner. The service is great (in my experience). I enjoy the adults only Lotus spa pool, my favorite place to hang out. It's nice and quiet and they play relaxing music. We've never tired the Sanctuary, but I'm sure it's a nice place to hang out and get treated like royalty. On the Emerald, they have a thermal spa (for a fee) that you can have a pass for throughout your cruise. It is so nice. There's a series of showers, steam rooms, warm benches to lay on, and aroma therapy steam that you can enjoy and relax.

 

Embarkation is well organized and you can access your room as soon as you get on the ship. No need to wait until a certain time before you can access your room. Disembarkation goes very smoothly as well.

[RMM34667]

Princess just seems so much more relaxing for me. I felt the staff on Princess cares more about their guests. It was little things. The dining rooms on Princess are quieter and I felt more organized. But mostly the food is probably comparable but I may have enjoyed it more on Princess MDR than Carnival because of the service and general atmosphere. Although I have to say my dinner at the Steakhouse on the Legend was probably the best meal of my life. I enjoyed my two Carnival cruises very much. But I enjoyed my three Princess cruises much more. I would sail Carnival again in a second if the price and iterary is right. But with only 2 weeks vacation a year I look for Princess deals. And as for the beds.. I slept like a baby. TWICE on my last Princess cruise - in an inside cabin - I thought I was getting up early as is my normal cruise routine - but get up on deck to see the ship hopping as it was 10am or later.

 

Either line I am sure you will have a great cruise.

[oratheeexplorer]

First, agree on families with kids are better off on Carnival/RCI. Without the kids, it's Princess.

 

The pools are fresh water and much larger on Princess than on Carnival. Pools are also brokent out into separate areas as opposed to the mass of humanity on the Lido deck on Carnival ships. Hard to get away from it all when you are in the middle of that.

 

Carnival's rap as a party cruise line is not deserved. But there is still much more of that going on there is on Princess and it might relate to the younger crowd.

 

Princess has much nicer buffets, especially at breakfast, but also table service at night. Things like cold wet towels handed to you on re-embarcation at ports is also a nice touch.

 

There's nothing wrong with Carnival and prices are good and cabins are big. Princess is just a better fit for some.

 

OP, your loyalty should be to yourself and not a cruise line. They care more about your money than you.

 

 

Just wanted to say that we've been on 2 Princess cruises and never had cold wet towels offered to us when coming back on ship.

[oratheeexplorer]

Princessers do not party like Carnivores. That is my opinion. LOL

Beds on Princess -- very, very hard.

Entertainment on Princess -- kind of boring at times, yet sometimes

really good.

Relaxation -- Princess wins the award.

Subtle decor but nice.

 

I am a bit biased since I hated my one and only Carnival cruise.

However, the staff was very nice on Carnival, the food was good, WHEN

we could find any [seriously] and the fellow passengers were wonderful.

 

I like Royal Caribbean the best. It's a fusion of Carnival and Princess

IMHO

 

 

Could you go into some details as to why you like Royal the best? Just curious....been on 2 Princess cruises and want to try a different line.....thinking about Celebrity.....

 

Thanks

[vandalayceo]

Just wanted to say that we've been on 2 Princess cruises and never had cold wet towels offered to us when coming back on ship.

 

Out of 14 Princess cruises about half had the cold towels offered on return from port visits.

[oratheeexplorer]

We are carnival junkies. But sail other lines too- We sailed Royal and tried Princess. LOVED everything about it.

In our 15 cruises our Princess cruises (3) have totally wow'd us the entire time- from the moment we checked it--til the minute we walked off the ship.

 

Princess does not have sofas in their cabin except for mini suites and for us it is surely missed.

 

Their buffet at dinner is amazing- only difference between the buffet and the dining room-- you get the meal yourself. There will be waiters walking around filling your water, getting your drinks or a soda- which is nice.

 

The buffet on Princess is a little wierd- there is no line-- just butt in front of anyone where you want to be--

 

I like that on Princess you have your choice of when to see a show- on Carnival you either miss dinner or go to the other shop.

On Carnival the show lounge is nicer-- where you have that table to sit your drinks on and you have room to stretch out while watching the show- On Princess its like a movie theater== you hold your drinks and keep your legs to yourself---

 

Princess costs a lot more then carnival. On our cruise in February- comparing Pride to Ruby. (we paid 1477 for 3 of us in a balcony.- Ruby was 2300 for 2 of us on a balcony

 

 

In the Princess theatre, there are little lap table tops that pull up and out from the side of the seat you are sitting in......

[Wesley Cruise]

So I decided to book a cruise on the Carnival Valor because I couldn't resist the price. $429 for a 6-day cruise during the Christmas holidays is AMAZING!!! Maybe next year Princess...

[TimInOhio]

the frenetic party atmosphere, hairy chest contests, belly-flopping exhibits...

 

I recall the above on the Caribbean Princess in 2006.

 

My wife and I don't recall any of these activities when we were aboard Caribbean Princess in September 2006. It was certainly not what I would call "frenetic."

[apollobeach]

We are still in the process of trying all the various lines to establish our own opinions. After our last Carnival cruise in January, we canceled the four upcoming Carnival cruises we had booked and will never sail on Carnival again.

[bbenson]

I think the one thing that has to be pointed out is that quality, service, food, entertainment etc can vary greatly across any cruise line. I've cruised Princess, Carnival, Royal Caribbean, and Norwegian and have enjoyed aspects of all of them but some things I enjoyed on one ship of the line was not so great on a different ship of the very same line. But if you wanted to generalize:

 

I find Princess offers a consistent product. It's a more laid back cruise the ages of the other cruisers tends to be older than Carnival and Royal Caribbean. There will be some nightlife but not a whole lot. If you're looking to party all night Princess probably isn't the line for you. The bedding is as hard as a rock....seriously...like granite. The food is consistently good but not great. The pay dining rooms are generally good and better than the MDR.

 

Carnival the average age DOES tend to skew lower than Princess.... the tempo of the cruise is more upbeat and the nightlife can go into the wee hours of the morning. Everyone that has raved about their bedding isn't kidding...I love it...but I like soft beds. The food is hit or miss.... Sometimes fantastic sometimes a total dud.... but I think it was a chef issue on the worst food problems... my mother went on the same ship six months later and found the food had vastly improved. Haven't done speciality dining here so can't comment

 

Royal Caribbean tends to be more uptempo than princess but without all the nightlife of carnival. Some nightlife but not a lot. The food is...well...its good for the most part... I've found they usually have 1 or 2 stand out dishes a night and the rest is ok to poor. If you have a good wait staff they will help direct your choices.

 

NCL... the food in the MDR was school cafeteria food at best.... BUT their pay dining rooms were pretty darn tastey...go figure. The bedding was hard again... but they did have some of the best shows I've seen on the seas.... And I should point out...I did enjoy the trip and will consider cruising them in the future...if the price is right.

 

The main differences between princess and carnival is the general age of the passengers (not including holiday trips) and the price... Carnival tends to be cheaper....Princess tends to be older.... but if you like one it's doubtful you'll completely hate the other...

[SunshinyLees]

Hi everyone:) My fiance are planning an Eastern Caribean cruise wedding next Feb 2012 and have narrowed down our choices to the Ruby Princess, Carnival Glory and RC Freedom of the Seas! Carnival is the cheapest and we like the idea of keeping the costs low for our guests.My parents love to have a good time, but they are concerned with Carnival because of its reputation of being a party ship and more of a budget cruise line. Having no real cruise experience, is it worth paying a little more for a nicer ship? Our worry is that if we decide to not go with Carnival and a more expensive ship, will the ship then be full of older clientele and not be fun, especially around the pool and night time? We will be a group split between 20-30 year olds and 50-60 year olds so we need a ship that will satisfy all. We want nice and classy but still fun! Also, the Royal Caribean ship look amazing but during a 7 day cruise they only stop at 3 ports vs 4. Is it better to have more port stops? Im thinking so, but the price is good and the ship gets good reviews so were not sure what to pick! Help lolo! Thanks in advance for any advice:p

[beshears]

I didn't have time to read all the responses, but I just got off the Sapphire Princess going to the Mexican Riviera.

 

I will say I like the Princess (2nd time), but then I think I like Carnival better.

 

A couple things I found on Carnival I like better than Princess:

 

The Beds and bedding are much nicer, and the rooms are a little bigger than on Princess.:)

 

I do enjoy in the dining room of Carnival, the waiters/waitresses singing/dancing for us. Princess did it the last night.

 

Princess is a very clean ship also, maybe just a tad cleaner than Carnival.