Princess for a younger couple?

[WillWorkForCruise121]

My wife and I have cruised both Carnival and Royal caribbean International. We enjoyed them both very much (RCI even more!). We are younger, I am 29 and my wife 24. I have had some people tell me we would be incredibly bored on a princess cruise. That it will be a cruise full of retirees and everything being shut down by 9:00pm. We really aren't big partiers to be honest. We are usually worn out and ready for bed before midnight but would like some night life to enjoy.

 

Are there late night dining options? Is the ship dead after 8? I'm really not even convinced that this would be a deal breaker for us. Like I said, we aren't big partiers. The itineraries for Princess just look really appealing to us. Espescially the 7 and 10 night southern caribbean trips. (although I wish they remained from san juan next year).

 

We were also looking at some attractive celebrity itineraries, but were told by friends that this would be even worse for anyone young.

 

We really loved our last cruise on Royal Caribbean and the ship (Liberty of the seas) was just amazing! But to go for 7 nights or more on Royal it is for the most part it is more expensive than Celebrity and Princess. Not to mention the itineraries do not seem as exciting.

 

Also, if there was one gripe I have about both Carnival and Royal caribbean (more Carnival) it is the mannerless fellow passengers. So many would get right up in the middle of shows with no regard for anyone around them. They don't even try for formal night (my wife and I enjoy dressing up). Forget about manners with Deck chairs and seat reserving in the shows!

 

I feel that we would enjoy a more formal and sophisticated crowd. Would we get this on lines like princess and Celebrity? I am not trying to start a debate on formal dress or general manners and behavior. I am just stating what we prefer to do, which is conduct ourselves in a dignified manner and it's nice when others around you feel the same way.

 

I will likely post the same question in the Celebrity forum and maybe Royal caribbean as well (we are still considering the oasis)

 

My wife and I have cruised in January the past two years and will likely do the same time next year. However we are considering going on a second cruise this year in September. would that time of year be different? Both are when kids should be back in school.

 

Any help or insight is greatly appreciated!

[Cruise Junky]

I took my first Princess cruise at 34...so not quite 29 ;) but never, ever bored and the ships are absolutely not dead at 9.00. I'm in bed before that ship starts slowing down. I think princess is actually a great mix. It's not a crazy party line, but there is stuff going on for those that want it.

[JustinPlusLauren]

We started cruising with Princess at ages 23 and 26.... Now we are 29 and 32 and have sailed four times with Princess, we love it! There is plenty to do at night, shows, karaoke, DJ dance club, game shows, bands, martini bar, cafe, ultimate deck party... No shortage of events!

[Loonbeam]

I think you'll be fine. No Princess does not have some of the amenities of the Liberty, etc, but I find the crowd to be a good mix of ages. When you cruise and where will have the most effect on that, more so than the line (for example, the Canada/New England runs are often a higher average age as is the Panama Canal, where Alaska skews younger).

 

We're on the Liberty for our first RC run in October, but the itin is so port intensive chair hogs won't be an issue. I'll do a point by point comparison on both forums when back.

[chipmaster]

Were there young couples on every cruise I've been on, yes. Were the bar's, clubs, dancing, activites and such dead, no. Were there older folks, yes.

 

Were they as hopping as my memory of Carnival, nope.

 

Every line markets an angle. I can't imagine if I turned back the clock to when I was young that I'd be bored, but what I like to do has less to do with age now, past or future. Think about how each line markets, in some larger sense they crowds you get do more gravitate to those marketing norms.

[Coral]

I started sailing Princess when I was 28 I think.....

 

Celebrity will be more formal. When I sailed Celebrity many years ago, it had less activities and I was sort of bored on the ship. I probably should sail them again to see if my opinions have changed about them.

[AmarilloBarbara]

We have been on three cruises and there were plenty of young folks on all of the cruises except the one from Los Angeles to Hawaii......at 55 and 64 we appeared to be the "younger" set on that particular trip!

[isujim]

We have sailed RCCL 15 or 16 times and Princess 3 times and 2 more coming up...........I don't think for activities you can find a nickel's difference in the basic cruise experience........I think you'll enjoy Princess very much.

[1 HappyCruiser]

For what's it's worth, the times we're sailed on RCI there have always been younger couples & more family's aboard. (and we always sail in the fall through spring season). Princess does attract an older crown than RCI and perhaps the same as Celebrity but either way it also depends on the time of year & spring break.

On NCL we sailed in the Caribbean when were were in out 40's & we were probably the oldest couple at our table at the time.

btw- You'll probab'y be among the younger of the cruisers on Princess.

[Poulsbo Cruisers]

I believe that the length of the cruise and the itinerary has more to do with the demographics than does the particular cruise line. If you do a seven night Princess cruise in the Caribbean, you will find plenty of young people. If you do a 12 night Mediterranean cruise, you will not find near as many. This would apply even to RCI.

[pcsunlover]

We found Princess to be a little more subdued than our RCCL cruise, but not boring by any means. There are no rock climbing walls, flow riders or ziplines, but you will have movies & concerts on MUTS at one pool, and a few pool games and usually a great band at another. I cannot vouch for any of the indoor daytime activities as we spend our days outdoors, but from what I've read on this site, there are many options to choose from and people seem to enjoy them. The gym is good, and we were happy with our experience at the spa. At night there are options for stage shows, a comedian, game show, trivia, dancing, casino, shopping, etc.

 

We have always cruised in March or April (around Easter) and have had a nice mixture of ages onboard. I think if you cruise early in the year you may find an older crowd. Same thing with an itinerary of more than 7 days. You will find rude people on any cruiseline, but I have never seen anyone out of control or obnoxious on my cruises with Princess. Most fellow passengers are relaxed and friendly, and the service and food have been very good (in my opinion).

[WillWorkForCruise121]

Thanks everyone for all of your replies. This really more confirms my original feelings that it would be something we would enjoy. We are younger, but do not mind the company of those older than us.

 

As long as the whole ship doesn't shut down after 9 and the only activites are shuffleboard and bingo for most of the day, I think we'd be fine. We loved the Liberty of the seas but we didn't even use the rock climbing wall, flowrider, basketball, ice skating, etc. We are pretty lazy cruisers! LOL.

 

Does anyone know if the pools/Hot tubs are open late? That is one thing I enjoyed on the ships we were on before. Hitting the hot tub at midnight when we had it to ourselves.

[Loonbeam]

The pool schedule seems to vary by itinerary, but no the hot tubs are not usually open at midnight (that's when they seem to clean them).

 

I have all the Princess Patters (daily activity guides) here from our recent Island cruise if you want to see what's offered on a Panama Canal cruise (again, skews a bit older).

 

http://panamacanal.pamandjeff.net

 

Thanks everyone for all of your replies. This really more confirms my original feelings that it would be something we would enjoy. We are younger, but do not mind the company of those older than us.

 

As long as the whole ship doesn't shut down after 9 and the only activites are shuffleboard and bingo for most of the day, I think we'd be fine. We loved the Liberty of the seas but we didn't even use the rock climbing wall, flowrider, basketball, ice skating, etc. We are pretty lazy cruisers! LOL.

 

Does anyone know if the pools/Hot tubs are open late? That is one thing I enjoyed on the ships we were on before. Hitting the hot tub at midnight when we had it to ourselves.

[pakarinen]

As long as the whole ship doesn't shut down after 9 and the only activites are shuffleboard and bingo for most of the day, I think we'd be fine. We loved the Liberty of the seas but we didn't even use the rock climbing wall, flowrider, basketball, ice skating, etc. We are pretty lazy cruisers! LOL.

 

Well, a couple of my kids are your ages, but I can tell you that the Crown did not shut down at 9PM. There was an outstanding band playing country, rock, swing and even a little funk in Explorer's and another excellent band playing jazz and mainly ballroom by request in the Wheelhouse. Didn't do much in Club Fusion because they started booming out a lot of techno-trance after salsa and the seas were rough so it was hard to dance up there IMO.

 

The demographics on our cruise tended to the 50+ crowd, but there were some younger couples. Didn't see a shuffleboard court onboard. ;)

 

There was also an excellent comedian who's been on Comedy Central. He did tone down his routine a bit from what he did on TV.

[willigo]

Went on first cruise Princess Emerald, Eastern Caribbean, Jan27-Feb 6, 2012.

Went to bed most nights around 11:00. Went to theater shows each night; song and dance, comedian, hypnotist; 30 min each show. Then karaoke bar mainly for drinks; but also some fun. We are in our mid sixties and my first response when I saw my fellow passengers, was similar to my dad's response after his fiftieth high school reunion, "everyone was so old". Good luck kids.

[Teddy11]

We were on the 2/18 Crown Princess sailing-first time cruisers, and found a good mix of ages on the ship. We are in our fifties, enjoy dancing, comedy clubs , jazz etc. and really enjoyed ourselves.

 

We found the skywalkers club to be hopping all week. In fact, the DJ played some of the best dance music we have heard in a club (all current music). During the shows, everybody stayed seated ( they did NOT want to be called out by Alfred & Seymour!)

 

During the day, the band that played by one of the pools in the afternoon was great.

 

We enjoy dressing up for dinner, and so were happy to see most everbody did as well. Formal nights were alot of fun....everybody looked very elegant! Even our 18 year old son enjoyed them.

[Teddy11]

Also wanted to add that usually we are in bed by 10pm at home, but on the cruise we actually stayed up until 12 or 1am most nights. We had the 6pm seating for dinner which worked well for us, as we could see more that one show in the evening, then go dancing!

[BballinQT24]

My husband and I are both in our 20's and have taken four Princess cruises and are currently planning our fifth. I think the age groups depend a lot on the length and intinerary of the cruise. The 7 day cruises we've been on had a bigger mix of age groups while the two 10 day Caribbean cruises we've been on had a much older demographic. However, it never affected our enjoyment. We aren't big partyers and are typically in bed before midnight, so can't really speak for that, but we always found something around the ship that kept us entertained. I am a big fan of the 10 day Caribbean itinerary's and would give it a try if I were you.

[Solorca1]

My fiance and I are 31 and 26 and are getting ready to take our first cruise with Princess. Based on the over the top party atmosphere and small children putting their sticky hands everywhere, I'll be more than happy to have a slightly more subdued group!

 

We have been on RCI three times and Carnival three times, and honestly, I feel like I outgrew Carnival about 3-4 years ago.

[RebelSoul]

I started cruising on Princess at the age of 20...and that will be exactly 20 years ago this coming June. So I have sailed on 16 Princess cruises for half my life now, with 3 more Princess cruises coming up within the next 7 months. I have never once been bored or felt like I was on board with a bunch of boring, mundane, old people (I can say that because I officially turned "old" this year! :D) I like Princess because of the diversity of the age groups.

 

As a note, I'll share a little tidbit of my first cruise that was on the original Crown Princess in 1992. I was lucky enough to have this very delightful English couple at my dinner table every night who were in their 80s. Their stories were incredible. I so looked forward to eating dinner every night just so I could sit and absorb their little tales. One evening, long after dinner, I spotted them at the night club dancing away and it was going on 1:00 am. I am pretty sure I went to bed that night before they did and they were more than 60 years older than me.

 

If you've enjoyed RCI, I think you'll like Princess. There are no rock climbing walls and the like. But it is a little more classier, understated decor, food is subjective, but I think it's better on Princess. I also think Princess does better itineraries. Unfortunately rude passengers are on every line. I will say I encountered them more on a certain line I won't mention, but I have encountered plenty on Princess and other lines, too.

[xtianmom]

We just returned from the Emerald and felt like babies. I am 49 and DH is 55. Not to say it isn't fun, but we felt very young. The lounge was fun, lots to do, never visited the disco/dancing areas after 10:00. I think there is a younger population, but it depends on when you go. We were happy to have few children, and it was nice to feel "young". If you are looking for same age party atmosphere, this might not be for you. Follow a Princess roll call and that might give you an idea. I think most Princess cruisers are retired.

 

We loved it! Great food, great fun and it is what you make it!

[AmberTeka]

We played Jeopardize Trivia last Dec. with a couple who had a son with them..He was maybe 24. An Uncle also played with us. So at first, it was obvious that he had been dragged there. Then we got into the fray..and we were doing pretty well. He ..the young man..was naming flags of nations I would never have guessed..and then he was smiling when he came back with the money for our win..We did not win..but came close..and by the end..He was having a really good time. He was a darn good trivia player too.

 

So..do some activities. Meet some people. I always hear music from several venues when I make my way to bed around 10-11. I usually leave the casino..when I am too tired to go anymore.

 

Just think..get up early...DH is a sunrise person..and we pd. for that balcony..then breakfast..then Early Morning Trivia..or shore trip if sea day..games and casino and shopping and TEA...and Bingo..and sitting and talking and cookies at the I.C. then more trivia..dinner..show..casino......................

I have to rest up when we go home. And I love it. It is the best time ever. You can do nothing.......or everything. Your choice. Great fun..both ways. And I say this in only the most gently romantic manner..If I was 24 again and my DH was 29 again, we would spend a great deal of time in our cabin. To turn back time..........ahhhhhhhhhhhhh. The stuff of great novels....

[cruisequeen4ever]

My husband and I are 30, and we exclusively cruise Princess now. I've been on Royal Caribbean and Carnival, but we aren't partiers either and prefer the sophistication and class of Princess. The disco and casino are open late into the night. There will be other young people in the disco, and you'll hear the normal cool club music, but you just won't see many people dancing. The comedians are hilarious, and I enjoy the older crowd; you find that they are just like you, just technically older, and they have lots of fun stories to share. Book Princess, and happy sailing!! :)

[1 HappyCruiser]

Everyone views the age of the crowd differently & some people don't see the fact that it is an older crowd most times. I've sailed on some trips (10 day cruise) where the avg age was 62.9 years old & it seemed like they took people out of nursing homes. It was hard to spot anyone under the age of 50 or so. During the same period a year later I expected the same it was just normal middle aged families. It's hard to say what to expect on any given trip except that 7 day cruises are generally a younger crowd and the longer ones are usually older since middle aged people with kids are usually working and don't have the extra time for a longer vacation.

[azdmelani]

My wife and I have cruised both Carnival and Royal caribbean International. We enjoyed them both very much (RCI even more!). We are younger, I am 29 and my wife 24. I have had some people tell me we would be incredibly bored on a princess cruise. That it will be a cruise full of retirees and everything being shut down by 9:00pm. We really aren't big partiers to be honest. We are usually worn out and ready for bed before midnight but would like some night life to enjoy.

 

Are there late night dining options? Is the ship dead after 8? I'm really not even convinced that this would be a deal breaker for us. Like I said, we aren't big partiers. The itineraries for Princess just look really appealing to us. Espescially the 7 and 10 night southern caribbean trips. (although I wish they remained from san juan next year).

 

We were also looking at some attractive celebrity itineraries, but were told by friends that this would be even worse for anyone young.

 

We really loved our last cruise on Royal Caribbean and the ship (Liberty of the seas) was just amazing! But to go for 7 nights or more on Royal it is for the most part it is more expensive than Celebrity and Princess. Not to mention the itineraries do not seem as exciting.

 

Also, if there was one gripe I have about both Carnival and Royal caribbean (more Carnival) it is the mannerless fellow passengers. So many would get right up in the middle of shows with no regard for anyone around them. They don't even try for formal night (my wife and I enjoy dressing up). Forget about manners with Deck chairs and seat reserving in the shows!

 

I feel that we would enjoy a more formal and sophisticated crowd. Would we get this on lines like princess and Celebrity? I am not trying to start a debate on formal dress or general manners and behavior. I am just stating what we prefer to do, which is conduct ourselves in a dignified manner and it's nice when others around you feel the same way.

 

I will likely post the same question in the Celebrity forum and maybe Royal caribbean as well (we are still considering the oasis)

 

My wife and I have cruised in January the past two years and will likely do the same time next year. However we are considering going on a second cruise this year in September. would that time of year be different? Both are when kids should be back in school.

 

Any help or insight is greatly appreciated!

 

My friend and I have been sailing Princess together since we were in our early 20s. We have always had a blast! Our prefered cruising times are either in early September or January and we've always enjoyed some sort of nightlife. We are booked for a 10 day cruise in November for the Panama Canal and may be the younger ones on the ship, but we'll still have a great time.

 

Enjoy Princess, she's worth it :)