Princess or carnival

[seahawk8292]

Princess or carnival cruise line?:confused:

[LEtue]

Your question is too vague to get recommendations.

 

But since we're on the Princess board......PRINCESS! :D

[Toto2Kansas]

We have done both. If you are looking for flash and amusement park type ships, choose Carnival. If you are looking for a beautiful ship with great buffets and service, then choose Princess. Without more info on your age and what you are looking for in a cruise, that is the best I can do. :D

[CroozBlooz]

Unfortunately, with competition and consolidation, Princess is becoming more like Carnival all the time. I believe that the food is a bit better on Princess than Carnival. Yet the fitness areas generally are better on Carnival. Personally, I don't think the buffet food on either line is very good.

[Chucksta63]

Carnival,, I have never cruised Princess

[cviolante]

Carnival,, I have never cruised Princess

 

Then how can you recommend one over the other??

 

To the OP: I have to agree with others...we would need to know what is important to you to make a recommendation. Both have their plusses and minuses.

[City_Woman]

I have cruised on Carnival 6 times and have my first Princess cruise booked for April 06.

 

I chose Princess because it had the itinerary I wanted in a price range that suited me.

 

I had wanted a back to back with Carnival, but the best I could get was an outside guarantee for $2100pp. However, my PVP couldn't guarantee we'd be in the same cabin for both weeks.

 

Princess gave me a 10-day with the itinerary we would like with an oceanview deluxe (and we picked the room) for about $1500pp.

 

I love Carnival, but it's time for us to try something new.

 

CityWoman

[Coral]

Also knowing the ships you are considering would be helpul - if you are comparing the Fascination to the Tahitian you will receive entirely different advice then if you are comparing the Spirit to the Coral Princess.

[CruiseFever]

Princess or carnival cruise line?:confused:

 

Indeed, knowing some specific ships would get a more specific comparison. I bet that the members of this board have collectively sailed all the ships on both lines.

 

But after a bunch of Carnival cruises I found that what I had to work to make happen on Carnival is just the way Princesss does business day in and day out. Not that I minded working to make those Carnival cruises great mind you.

 

Some easy to identify, general differences include

• Princess Grand Class ships have Skywalkers- a nightclub that blows away anything Carnival ever thought of having
  
• Princess does a better job of breaking up huge, open deck space into smaller more intimate areas
  
• Carnival has FunVision, an in-cabin interactive system that lets you view your shipboard charge account, buy shore excursions and watch pay-per-view movies
  
• Princess has better, sometimes excellent food but sometimes lacks consistency
  
• You can buy cartons of cigarettes on Princess and they hold them until the end of the cruise, on Carnival you can have them when you buy them
  
• You can buy bottles of booze on Carnival and they hold them until the end of the cruise, on Princess you can order bottles from room service and have them right now
  
• Carnival has an incorrect reputation for being a big drunken party all the time (not any more), Princess has an incorrect reputation for catering to boring old people (you'll have to try hard to find a line like that)
  
• Carnival has a better kids program- Princess' is good but inconsistent from ship to ship
  
• Pricing is competitive, comparing numbers to numbers Carnival will come out less expensive but Princess is a better value
  
• Princess ships all seem to have a similar layout and decor, each Carnival ship has a different theme
  
• Princess rules embarkation, Carnival is trying but still not there
  
• Carnival has the reputation for the best shows, I rate both lines the same
  
• Princess sails to more places
  
• Carnival management is totally accessible, good luck emailing somebody important at Princess
  
• Princess employs more muted tones and promotes a subdued but semi-elegant ambiance, Carnival is very glitzy, Vegas style with lots of neon
  

I'm sure someone else can add more to this list but those are the things that jump out at me as being different. You be the judge if each one is a good thing or a bad thing.

[JGR01]

Yes they are both owned by the same company .. and yes they share some of the same basic features (4 wheels and an engine) ... but they are worlds apart.

 

Carnival is far more mass market and has traditionally been a younger crowd. Princess has always been a bit more upscale and an older more experienced crowd.

 

That said .. what about Cunard?? That board is talking about the Princess-ization of Cunard .. and here they are debating the Carnival-ization of Princess.

 

From that standpoint, I should have said Rolls Royce to Cadillac to Chevrolet. Granted the Chev Corvette is a fun car (as I am sure some Carnival ships are) .. but they are a world apart.

 

As was posted, you need to compare cabins, sailings, prices and all other options before making your decision. I had to cruise very last minute in January (got the week off) and Princess had no cabins open .. even though #1 on wait list... so took Celebrity (often compared favorably with Princess) and was VERY VERY disappointed. I had no choice .. there was one cabin on one ship on Thursday night leaving on Sunday .. and I took it.

 

Take both and compare. Personal opinion is that you will enjoy Princess more .. but then I'm 50+ and not into all the poolside games on ANY ship!

[irislady]

Chris, wonderful answer. I agree on nearly every point, except we did find on our 2nd Carnival cruise (Inspiration to Cozumel) that there were a good number of drunks out and about. Also, we enjoy the food in Horizon Court on Princess, but disliked Carnival's buffet food.

 

Another point: Princess also seems to keep their older ships in much nicer condition than Carnival does. We were on the Grand before her big "makeover" and found very little evidence of wear-and-tear. The Inspiration was full of broken elevators and some of the working elevators had big cracks in their mirrors. There were also chunks of trim missing here and there around the ship, and cracked floor tiles etc. She was scheduled for a "makeover", too, so I don't know what she's like now.

 

Our cabin on the Pride was quite spacious and well thought-out. Our cabins on the Coral, Island and Grand Princess were not quite as large, but had excellent storage space, slightly smaller bathrooms. We also liked the sliding doors of the balconies better on Princess. Our cabin on the Inspiration didn't have a balcony, but was an outside cabin. The cabin was smaller, the layout was poor, and we were glad we hadn't chosen the Inspiration for a longer cruise.

 

We don't plan to sail on Carnival again, but do have 2 open bookings for future Princess cruises. I don't know if Carnival even offers the open booking deals. We also have a HAL cruise booked, will soon book a Cruise West cruise, and plan to try RCL and Celebrity.

Shae

[Bsan1221]

I absolutely LOVE Carnival. I am going for the first time on Princess next year which I am also looking forward too..

[Blamar]

We have sailed on RCCL, Holland America, Carnival and Princess. In that order. I felt alot like I was shopping. RCCL and Princess was like shopping at Sears. Holland America was a bit more upscale. Carnival felt like K-Mart. That would have been really good if I felt like going to K-Mart. Sometimes, buying things there is just the right thing to do. But in our case we were expecting to shop in Sears and ended up on the bargain isle.

 

So, if you know what you are infor, I would say any cruise is a good one. Beats working.

[sunprincess]

No question, PRINCESS :)

[SANDYJABS]

I have sailed on both-Carnival x2 and Princess x1-

 

Carnival really doesn't cater to past guests-

Princess has the Captains Circle which to me is some recognition for past guest loyalty.

Sandy

[ado]

No question, Princess is where you belong..............

[Gingee]

I am glad I found this thread. Princess is new to me. We have done Carnival Conquest and Legend and Royal Carribbean Sovereign. We are looking at the Princess Sun or Dawn. We are wondering if it is different as far as activities - like do they have the same "Newlywed Game and Hairy Man chest" and the same things like that?

[Bsan1221]

We have sailed on RCCL, Holland America, Carnival and Princess. In that order. I felt alot like I was shopping. RCCL and Princess was like shopping at Sears. Holland America was a bit more upscale. Carnival felt like K-Mart.

 

 

You gotta get it right... its WALMART.... Not KMART.... LOL!!! :p ;)

[Breezey]

Always find the responses to this type of question interesting. Have been on 2 Carnival, 1 Princess and 1 Celebrity cruise. Going on my 2nd Princess cruise in September. Why did I choose Princess again? Liked the itinerary they were offering on the Med best. I am not loyal to any cruise line (will get back to you on that once I take several more). I found each one of them to have some things I loved and some thing I didnt.

 

Carnival - l remember when we first went on Carnival and got funny looks from more experienced cruisers. Hogwash, we had a great time. Plus travelling with a family of 5 over winter breaks, we couldnt justify the difference between Carnival and Princess. We liked the layout of the buffet area a lot better (Destiny and Paradise) than on the Golden Princess. We went over winter break, where there were tons of families and didnt find the drunken behaviour some people have maligned Carnival with. We had a great time. Loved the piano bar. I

 

Princess - loved the main pool area of the Golden. Loved the non-traditional dining. Yet on this cruise our next door neighbors (in their mid 20's) decided to have quite the party one night, loud music and drunken behaviour on their balcony until 3am when some of the crew came knocking at their door. Princess? Hmm. Great range of choices in the evening (large ship).

 

Celebrity - smaller ship (Mercury) so cannot compare the ship to the Golden or the Destiny but appreciated the little touches (cool washclothes when embarking after a hot day in port, sorbet being served at the pool area). That being said, the music was focused on a much older crowd and found the night life quite dull (and we are 50!!). Skywalkers was dead! The food was good but not extraordinary. Did like the fact that you were not hounded by tons of loudspeak announcements.

 

So IMHO, all very subjective. What I am looking for in a cruise may be very different than someone else. I want good food choices, a beautiful pool area, great itinerary and a range of things to do at night. You need to try a few and see which ones you feel are right for you.

 

good luck in choosing.

[dbmiller1956]

I have sailed on both-Carnival x2 and Princess x1-

 

Carnival really doesn't cater to past guests-

Princess has the Captains Circle which to me is some recognition for past guest loyalty.

Sandy

 

I disagree. I have sailed on Carnival 6 times and have been rewarded generously for being a past cruiser. Besides discounts on my cabin, there were other gratuities given. Also, while I have not cruised on Princess yet, the fact that I cruised gave me a past cruiser discount with Princess.

 

As for comparison I cannot compare because I have not completed my Princess cruise, but to me...a cruise is a cruise is a cruise. :cool: As long as the ship is heading somewhere besides my office, I will make of it what I can.

 

Deena

[lindberg]

Yes!

[S.S.Oceanlover]

No question, PRINCESS :)

 

I don't see any CCL cruises listed in your signature? How do you recommend one over the other without sailing them both?

 

Just for the record I have sailed CCL about 6 times and Princess once . I'd pick Princess. :)

 

Bill

[BrianandKaren]

I have been on each cruiseline one time and had two totally different experiences.

 

Carnival Fantasy -- my cousin and I specifically went on this because it was the "party" ship so we heard. We wanted to have a great time, but that didn't happen. We stayed in a minisuite -- I wouldnt have classified it as a suite. I was expecting to find something going on no matter where I looked. We even asked people that worked on the ship what to do and where to go! They had no answer. So we gambled and drank. Nassau was fun though, we took a ship excursion (costly but fun). Let's say after this cruise I vowed never to go on another cruise again. Decor was so so .. nothing that I would go crazy over. The food was very good though.

 

Star Princess -- my husband and I went on this for our honeymoon. I reluctantly went due to the above experience. BOY OH BOY was I glad I went. Granted the two ships were different in size but I think that is what I was expecting and didnt get on the first one. Everything was elegant, the food was excellent. I just can't say enough good things about this ship.

 

Thats my 2 cents :)

[susancruzs]

Alot of interesting answers! Any given day the same cruise line/ship can be totally different things to different people!

 

I love Princess and like RCI, too, sailed them both alot. I've tried Carnival, Celebrity and Costa and just decided that Princess and RCI (Radiance class) suit my personality and needs better.

 

I was on the Glory in 2003 and it was a good cruise but not like Princess, just not the same atmosphere, I didn't like the layout of the ship real well. I missed the windows, light and sunshine coming in, the Glory reminded of Las Vegas, keep you in the dark. High density you get more cabins and balconies with that design, which is the name of the game, I guess.

 

I wanted to try Carnival so I did, just to satisfy my curiosity, it wasn't a bad cruise, food was better than I expected but overall I'm a Princess person.

 

Susie

[atlcple2]

Alot of interesting answers! Any given day the same cruise line/ship can be totally different things to different people!

 

I love Princess and like RCI, too, sailed them both alot. I've tried Carnival, Celebrity and Costa and just decided that Princess and RCI (Radiance class) suit my personality and needs better.

 

I was on the Glory in 2003 and it was a good cruise but not like Princess, just not the same atmosphere, I didn't like the layout of the ship real well. I missed the windows, light and sunshine coming in, the Glory reminded of Las Vegas, keep you in the dark. High density you get more cabins and balconies with that design, which is the name of the game, I guess.

 

I wanted to try Carnival so I did, just to satisfy my curiosity, it wasn't a bad cruise, food was better than I expected but overall I'm a Princess person.

 

Susie

 

We have been on Carnaval 3 times, the last 2 were the Spirit and Pride, identical ships for the most part, and loved them both and would love to cruise on those ships again. The Fantacy was by far more Las Vegas than the other 2. Having said that, I agree about the "Las Vegas" style and design of the ships and am anxious to enjoy the CB in September and the elegantness of it.