Long time Carnival cruiser looking to switch to Princess

[wickedhangover]

I'm wondering what the main differences we may expect between the two lines. Things we take for granted on Carnival that are different, that sort of stuff. Anyone willing to offer thoughts?

[golfb4cruzing]

We been on 6 Carnival and last 2 were Princess. I'm staying with Princess for the following.

 

More subdued. I'm 58 and time to chill.

I think better food. We aren't into MDR. The wife is in medical and dines weekly out with reps. I owned my own restaurant. I'm not impressed with MDR and certainly no dancing.

Shows are better quality but don't rotate any quicker than Carnival.

Adult areas are enforced.

2 non smoking nights in casino and no smoking on balconies. This is the winner for us.

Older crowd but you can get crazy if you like.

Rooms are ready upon boarding.

Looser alcohol carryon.

We have not been able to get in the Sanctuary. It's always sold out when we get there.

 

I feel relaxed at the end of a Princess, Carnival is straight out.

Edited January 24, 2014 by golfb4cruzing

[own]

No dancing where?

[SadieN]

Much more subdued than Carnival.

No true dedicated Piano Bar, though there is a guy playing the piano.

 

Where Carnival is disco, Princess is showtunes. Hal is light jazz.

 

FWIW Princess does not have the great Hot Chocolate dispensers like Carnival does nor the 24hr soft ice cream. Princess' pizza is very similar to Carnival's new pizza.

Edited January 24, 2014 by SadieN

[Lerin]

Not much to add that isn't already listed above except Princess ships are also very, very beautiful. No salmon colored pleather couches and random decor at every turn. ;)

 

Also there are no activities that some people may consider offensive such as hairy chest and that marriage game. Of course, if that's your thing then this may not be a positive change.

[katisdale]

No dancing in the dining room by the waiters. Lots of opportunities for cruisers to dance if you are into that but you don't have to dance if you don't want to.

[DMRick]

 

 

 

Also there are no activities that some people may consider offensive such as hairy chest and that marriage game. Of course, if that's your thing then this may not be a positive change.

 

 

Gosh, is there no newlywed game on princess? I thought there was, but it must have been on another cruise line.

 

 

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[USNUZULOOSE]

No dancing waiters. I like Carnival food a bit better. I do miss the WCMC. But it is more relaxing.

[Coral]

Gosh, is there no newlywed game on princess? I thought there was, but it must have been on another cruise line.

 

 

Sent from my iPod touch using Cruise Critic Forums mobile app

 

There have been on many of my Princess cruises. Not sure if it is all but I know people who have participated in it on my cruise.

[DMRick]

There have been on many of my Princess cruises. Not sure if it is all but I know people who have participated in it on my cruise.

 

 

I thought we won on one on Princess :)

 

 

Sent from my iPod touch using Cruise Critic Forums mobile app

[candigirl]

I've cruised both and come from the "there is no such thing as a bad cruise" philosophy. I loved my 1st Princess cruise but on my 2nd one I was very underwhelmed. I am about to book another one on Princess and hope it will restore my faith in Princess or it may be my last. Everyone has their own opinion, but I think the food is better in the main dining room on Carnival, but better in the buffets on Princess. I am not a big fan of the production show, but Princess has the edge there IMHO. I am a fan of the comedy clubs and Carnival wins here hands down, the George Lopez influence no doubt. Princess ships are far more gorgeous, but Carnival's cabins are quite a bit larger. The Staff is equally delightful on both. Try it and see what you think. Let us know.

[rdsqrl]

"George Lopez" and "comedy" in the same sentence? All righty . . . .

[AryMay]

After six Carnival cruises, we just returned from our first Princess cruise.

 

I am in the process of doing a cruise review and have included some of the differences I noticed. Click here for the link to my Emerald Princess review. Scroll down to post #14 to read my comparisons.

 

After reading through this thread, I realize I missed one big advantage for Princess...the cabins being ready at embarkation. I know you can pay extra for this on Carnival, but on Princess EVERYONE's cabin was ready.

[Jasperdo]

Also there are no activities that some people may consider offensive such as hairy chest and that marriage game. Of course, if that's your thing then this may not be a positive change.

Princess definitely does have "that marriage game". It's called the Love and Marriage Game Show and it's been on every Princess cruise I've been on. And while they may not have the hairy chest contest, they do have similar poolside activities such as the Mr. Sexy Legs Competition. Edited January 24, 2014 by Jasperdo

[shepp]

"George Lopez" and "comedy" in the same sentence? All righty . . . .

 

I wish there were a "like" button.

[dorisis]

Carnival appeals to a younger crowd.Princess gives an OBC to veterans. Princess decor is more subdued. Princess has fewer announcements all day long and they don't push the drinks as much.

 

Carnival is"the Fun Ship and Princess lets you "Escape Completly".

[kendon]

They do have a Princess Idol competition for talented (and not so talented passengers) that goes on for days. It's so much fun.

[wickedhangover]

I appreciate the responses, all the positives indicate what we are looking for. We avoid the main pools because of the hairy chest contest and other crap like that. Mostly we stick to ourselves, relax on a balcony, get some cocktails and want a more subdued time. I'm probably in the minority on the Carnival ship that feels sorry for the staff when they have to dance/sing in the MDR. I was a bartender/waiter years ago and if someone told me that near the of my shift I had to dance on the bar I would have laughed and gone somewhere else to work.

 

I also get disappointed in the MDR on Carnival in terms of what people wear. We make an effort to dress nice but it seems more and more that nobody else wants to. I can appreciate the "we're doing what we want because we're on vacation" mentality to a point, but for two hours you can't put on a nice shirt and pair of pants? But I guess that's just it, as we get older we stop going to family style restaurants filled with screaming kids and that's how I'm beginning to view Carnival.

 

We stuck with Carnival because of the perks of being platinum guests but in reality the things we enjoy are free laundry and priority embarkation, we tolerate the rowdy guests on carnival less and less each year. And I cannot stand smoking on the balconies. I really like good food but it's not a deal breaker. Personally I think the food on Carnival has gone downhill fast in the past two years. I'm wondering if those making comparisons are basing it on the pre-2011 food which was far better than the post-2011 food they serve now. The big red flag for me was powdered scrambled eggs on the buffet. I hadn't had those since the Navy and certainly did not miss them. I know the omelet stand will scramble fresh, that's not really my point though.

 

But in weighing it all up, I don't mind starting at the bottom again. We usually go on 2 cruises a year and will get some status on Princess fast enough. We typically don't select itineraries that use tenders so the perk of getting in the front of the tender line doesn't matter that much.

 

We're looking at the Royal, Regal and Ruby princess itineraries for next year.

 

In terms of fees, I was reading about paying for chairs in the solace area, are there other things you have to pay for that I might not have thought you have to pay for? We really don't do much, never go to the casino, rarely go to shows, I mean I know you pay for bingo and stuff like that but what about the specialty restaurants on Princess?

[ksm77]

I appreciate the responses, all the positives indicate what we are looking for. We avoid the main pools because of the hairy chest contest and other crap like that. Mostly we stick to ourselves, relax on a balcony, get some cocktails and want a more subdued time. I'm probably in the minority on the Carnival ship that feels sorry for the staff when they have to dance/sing in the MDR. I was a bartender/waiter years ago and if someone told me that near the of my shift I had to dance on the bar I would have laughed and gone somewhere else to work.

 

I also get disappointed in the MDR on Carnival in terms of what people wear. We make an effort to dress nice but it seems more and more that nobody else wants to. I can appreciate the "we're doing what we want because we're on vacation" mentality to a point, but for two hours you can't put on a nice shirt and pair of pants? But I guess that's just it, as we get older we stop going to family style restaurants filled with screaming kids and that's how I'm beginning to view Carnival.

 

We stuck with Carnival because of the perks of being platinum guests but in reality the things we enjoy are free laundry and priority embarkation, we tolerate the rowdy guests on carnival less and less each year. And I cannot stand smoking on the balconies. I really like good food but it's not a deal breaker. Personally I think the food on Carnival has gone downhill fast in the past two years. I'm wondering if those making comparisons are basing it on the pre-2011 food which was far better than the post-2011 food they serve now. The big red flag for me was powdered scrambled eggs on the buffet. I hadn't had those since the Navy and certainly did not miss them. I know the omelet stand will scramble fresh, that's not really my point though.

 

But in weighing it all up, I don't mind starting at the bottom again. We usually go on 2 cruises a year and will get some status on Princess fast enough. We typically don't select itineraries that use tenders so the perk of getting in the front of the tender line doesn't matter that much.

 

We're looking at the Royal, Regal and Ruby princess itineraries for next year.

 

In terms of fees, I was reading about paying for chairs in the solace area, are there other things you have to pay for that I might not have thought you have to pay for? We really don't do much, never go to the casino, rarely go to shows, I mean I know you pay for bingo and stuff like that but what about the specialty restaurants on Princess?

 

 

You will love Princess. We are also former Carnival people who moved to Princess. We are platinum on both lines. The things you say you enjoy are similar to me & DH. The specialty restaurants do have an extra charge. We have been to them on some cruises, but do not feel you are missing out if you don't. Princess has more free choices than Carnival.

 

I think the food on Princess is far above Carnival. I used to think they were both very good. On our last Carnival cruise in 2/12 with our kids & grandkids (because we thought they would like Carnival better) the food was not up to past standards. We decided after that cruise Carnival was not for us anymore for lots of different reasons. We now stick to Princess & HAL. I like both lines but I give Princess the edge over HAL.

Edited January 24, 2014 by ksm77

[NeurosurgeryNP]

We have been on one Carnival cruise - it was a 4 day - and we haven't returned. The 4 days is more so of a crazy passenger mix - we weren't thrilled. It was a booze cruise - and I feel like the highly intoxicated passengers weren't ever cut off even though they were sloshed. We felt like there was a lot less interaction with the cruise staff and the guests and less activities. Probably because it was a short cruise, but we won't book again on Carnival.

[pcsunlover]

Not much to add that isn't already listed above except Princess ships are also very, very beautiful. No salmon colored pleather couches and random decor at every turn. ;)

 

Also there are no activities that some people may consider offensive such as hairy chest and that marriage game. Of course, if that's your thing then this may not be a positive change.

 

There was a marriage game on every one of my 5 Princess cruises. I never saw a hairy chest contest, but did see a men's sexy legs contest during some of the pool games on several of those 5 cruises. All of those cruises were in the caribbean.

[Gunner22aa]

You sound like you have Princess written all over you. The only other thing I can think of you might enjoy and have to pay for is speciality coffees at the International Cafe. A card is $33 (31 if bought in advance) and good for 15 lattes, expressos etc and all the fresh brewed coffee you want. The coffee in the MDR is made from a concentrate and some find it very bitter. The IC is open 24 hours a day, serves sandwiches and very good deserts. The food is free.

 

I would also recommend a trip to the Crown Grill ($25/person) if you like prime rib or real Maine lobster. Well worth the cost.

 

Welcome to Princess

[Julia’s Journey’s]

Much more subdued than Carnival.

No true dedicated Piano Bar, though there is a guy playing the piano.

 

Where Carnival is disco, Princess is showtunes. Hal is light jazz.

 

FWIW Princess does not have the great Hot Chocolate dispensers like Carnival does nor the 24hr soft ice cream. Princess' pizza is very similar to Carnival's new pizza.

 

Royal Princess had them :)

Maybe they will come to all the ships eventually

[RDC1]

Not much to add that isn't already listed above except Princess ships are also very, very beautiful. No salmon colored pleather couches and random decor at every turn. ;)

 

Also there are no activities that some people may consider offensive such as hairy chest and that marriage game. Of course, if that's your thing then this may not be a positive change.

 

Not sure what you are calling the marriage game, but on Princess they do have a game where couples (1 newly wed, one married a moderate time, and one married a long time) are asked questions and then their spouses are asked the same question and see if they match. Some of the questions and answers get very funny.

[bassmaster150]

We really enjoyed our first Princess cruise after 13 Carnival cruises. We are on the Royal Princess this August, then another Carnival in December only because we wanted to sail out of San Juan and Princess does not currently have a cruise that sails out of San Juan. Princess boats are by far more subdued and elegant. Below is a photo of the Atrium on the Ruby Princess.