Just taken a big step....

[QM2 fan]

And booked a Princess cruise!!! Hope it's not a mistake, as we've only ever sailed QM2 before! ANyone here been on Crown Princess??

[Josy1953]

And booked a Princess cruise!!! Hope it's not a mistake, as we've only ever sailed QM2 before! ANyone here been on Crown Princess??

 

We have recently started cruising with Cunard after 24 cruises with Princess because the Princess standards have fallen iover the last few years. We went on the QM2 in December and felt that it was much more to our liking than the current Princess offering. We have been on the Crown Princess twice and she is a very nice ship but is starting to show her age.

[jimpod]

We have cruised on both the Crown and the QM2. They are definitely 2 different products but we have enjoyed both. It depends on what you are looking for - if it's the dressing up and formal type of cruise stick with Cunard (at present!) but if you're looking for something a bit less formal I would go with Princess. As Josy1953 said standards have fallen although not that much that I would change to another line. We have been on both QE and QM2 (18 months apart) and thought the standards had fallen slightly on Cunard in that short time. May just have been the cruise we picked and the mix of passengers. Everyone had to decide for themselves what there expectations are - what works for one may not for another. Enjoy your cruise.

[lannp]

There is a definite difference on Formal night on Princess as compared to the QM2. On my last Princess cruise (Grand Princess - 2012) I did not take any of the formal clothes I would normally wear on the QM2. I wore what I generally would wear on Semi-Informal and felt well-dressed compared to some.

Sea days on the QM2 have spoiled me. The lectures and library on Princess are severely lacking.

I had no issues with the food and the Horizon Buffet on Princess has a better layout.

Just go with an open mind and try not to keep comparing her to "The Grand Lady".

[avalon1025]

Apples and Oranges, I really think Carnival Corp has positioned Princess in the lower rung of the mass market lines (aligned to Royal Caribbean). I sailed QM2 and Grand Princess within two months of each other and thought everything about Princess screamed mass market vs QM2. I missed an observation lounge, bars that were not part of the mall like atrum, the Princess decor was tacky (all pastels and very ealry 90's), crew was very nice...but overall a big step down from QM2. I was in a suite on both ships and the food was not comparable

[DocLawDog]

We took a Princess cruise to Alaska a few years ago. It was a disaster. My sister and I and our traveling companions all were stricken with the Noro Virus. They stationed employees outside every bathroom watching to make sure people washed their hands. The food wasn't as good in the dining room, however, the Horizon buffet was far superior to the QM2, in my opinion. The lay out, the views, and even the quality of the food. But, we wont go back just for the buffet...we will stay with Cunard and just always eat in the Britannia dining room.