Princess versus Carnival my thoughts

[windsor26]

A comparison review between Princess and Carnival from my recent cruise (no flaming please just my thoughts)

 

Embarkation Princess wins.

Carnival was too disorganized and repetitive Lots of ‘jobsworth’ staff not that friendly.

I also appreciate the treasure hunt ‘raffle’ ticket that Princess gives to enable you to find the locations of rooms and bars with a chance of a good prize for those who complete the hunt.

 

Inside Stateroom

I think a tie - with perhaps a lien towards Princess.

Both have sufficient space arranged in a similar way. Plenty of drawers and hanging space in both ships but Carnival were very short on coat hangers (50 and no more available.!

Carnival has a slightly larger shower and I appreciated the new shower curtain but missed the toiletries that Princess gives.

Beds in both comfortable and excellent pillows

Carnival’s TV was poor and they do not give a booklet of the films and programmes etc for the cruise

 

Staff No winners

Excellent in both cruise lines although I did not meet our steward for 3 days (I am used to being welcomed within about 30 minutes of arrival on Princess with request ‘do we need anything else’

All smiled and greeted and were friendly.

 

Buffet Definitely Princess wins easily

By the time you get the complete meal in Carnival the whole thing is cold The walk of about 150 meters between serving places for the items you need is ridiculous.

I loved Carnival 24 hour Pizza but also like Princess Pizza even if not so easily obtained.

The special coffee machines on Carnival were good when they were working and they also served hot chocolate which was nice.

The so called fruit juices were abysmal being over sweet and not diluted sufficiently they also had lots of sugar added which makes them a drink not fruit juice.

Closing the buffet so quickly at lunch when you are in port was not a good idea.

 

Restaurant food Princess wins for the variety and quality but I loved the décor of Truffles restaurant.

Carnival food was never what it was written to be. The bread and butter pudding was made with cake. The mousse was cake, the mille fleur was cake, in fact everything seemed to be cake and not tasty cake either.

The meat quality in Carnival was poor and often dry and overcooked. (I know I could send it back but it was not worth the calories – I made do with less)

 

Drink prices Princess wins by a mile - most things almost a third cheaper.

The prices on Carnival – depending on which bar you used – were very high. The bar staff (particularly in the Red Frog) were rude and often incapable of giving what was ordered with excuses about it.

Taking into account on Princess you can bring wine on paying corkage on any over 1 bottle per person you would expect that Carnival’s prices would be less Cider at $11 is ridiculous

Daytime entertainment

Both companies had a lot to do but I think Princess was better organised and offered

3 trivia’s in a row on Carnival was boring.

Both companies have had good lecturers and we are happy with both

There is normally more outside entertainment on Princess

The problem we found with Carnival is that almost all the music was so loud it loud into the next room/bar and spoilt that one as well

 

Serenity versus Sanctuary Carnival wins hand over fist.

Free adults only area with lots of different ways to lounge around and drink and with a proper sized swim pool against paying for a dip pool and a few loungers in Sanctuary is a no brainer

 

Tendering Princess wins

Carnival seemed to be disorganized and did not communicate with other staff We were called liars when we went to debark although our number had been called This is not nice. It took 3 hours the first port visit which was stupid

 

Evening shows - horses for courses

For me (I am allowing for my choices) Princess shows were better Yes Carnival were noisier but their entertainers did not dance they stomped around the stage with their arms flying around and they shouted instead of singing.

The visiting acts were slightly better on Carnival than we have had in Princess

The late night ‘adult only entertainment’ was awful I do not mind a blue comedian who is funny with plays on words etc but a man who just rambles on with every 3rd word commencing with F does not amuse me I tried 3 of these shows and gave up after a few minutes each time. This room would be better used as a film show room which I sorely missed from Princess

 

Casino For ME definitely Princess (although Carnival is no smoking which I loved)

I like a small gamble but only a few dollars a day On Princess the slots commence at 5c a spin and then 9c 11c 15c etc Carnival lowest spin was 25c and only 5 machines had this low offer.

Saved me a bit of money

In the same vein Bingo they wish you to pay the same amount per game for just that game no roll over jack pot with the chance to win big. So again saved me money

 

Debarkation Princess a winner

Very slow in Carnival and this meant most of us were about ¾ hour later than we had planned which was a worry when shuttle/taxi had been booked and pre paid.

[Colo Cruiser]

Thanks for the comparison. :)

[Woobstr112G]

Thanks for taking the time to post your observations regarding the comparisons.....:):):)

 

Bob

[Ethel5]

I did not find Carnival's Casino to be non-smoking. There were only 5 slot machines up against a wall that were non-smoking and people kept trying to smoke there. I also found that people came into the casino just to smoke and not even play the machines!

[Cruise a holic]

A comparison review between Princess and Carnival from my recent cruise (no flaming please just my thoughts)

 

Embarkation Princess wins.

Carnival was too disorganized and repetitive Lots of ‘jobsworth’ staff not that friendly.

I also appreciate the treasure hunt ‘raffle’ ticket that Princess gives to enable you to find the locations of rooms and bars with a chance of a good prize for those who complete the hunt.

 

Inside Stateroom

I think a tie - with perhaps a lien towards Princess.

Both have sufficient space arranged in a similar way. Plenty of drawers and hanging space in both ships but Carnival were very short on coat hangers (50 and no more available.!

Carnival has a slightly larger shower and I appreciated the new shower curtain but missed the toiletries that Princess gives.

Beds in both comfortable and excellent pillows

Carnival’s TV was poor and they do not give a booklet of the films and programmes etc for the cruise

 

Staff No winners

Excellent in both cruise lines although I did not meet our steward for 3 days (I am used to being welcomed within about 30 minutes of arrival on Princess with request ‘do we need anything else’

All smiled and greeted and were friendly.

 

Buffet Definitely Princess wins easily

By the time you get the complete meal in Carnival the whole thing is cold The walk of about 150 meters between serving places for the items you need is ridiculous.

I loved Carnival 24 hour Pizza but also like Princess Pizza even if not so easily obtained.

The special coffee machines on Carnival were good when they were working and they also served hot chocolate which was nice.

The so called fruit juices were abysmal being over sweet and not diluted sufficiently they also had lots of sugar added which makes them a drink not fruit juice.

Closing the buffet so quickly at lunch when you are in port was not a good idea.

 

Restaurant food Princess wins for the variety and quality but I loved the décor of Truffles restaurant.

Carnival food was never what it was written to be. The bread and butter pudding was made with cake. The mousse was cake, the mille fleur was cake, in fact everything seemed to be cake and not tasty cake either.

The meat quality in Carnival was poor and often dry and overcooked. (I know I could send it back but it was not worth the calories – I made do with less)

 

Drink prices Princess wins by a mile - most things almost a third cheaper.

The prices on Carnival – depending on which bar you used – were very high. The bar staff (particularly in the Red Frog) were rude and often incapable of giving what was ordered with excuses about it.

Taking into account on Princess you can bring wine on paying corkage on any over 1 bottle per person you would expect that Carnival’s prices would be less Cider at $11 is ridiculous

Daytime entertainment

Both companies had a lot to do but I think Princess was better organised and offered

3 trivia’s in a row on Carnival was boring.

Both companies have had good lecturers and we are happy with both

There is normally more outside entertainment on Princess

The problem we found with Carnival is that almost all the music was so loud it loud into the next room/bar and spoilt that one as well

 

Serenity versus Sanctuary Carnival wins hand over fist.

Free adults only area with lots of different ways to lounge around and drink and with a proper sized swim pool against paying for a dip pool and a few loungers in Sanctuary is a no brainer

 

Tendering Princess wins

Carnival seemed to be disorganized and did not communicate with other staff We were called liars when we went to debark although our number had been called This is not nice. It took 3 hours the first port visit which was stupid

 

Evening shows - horses for courses

For me (I am allowing for my choices) Princess shows were better Yes Carnival were noisier but their entertainers did not dance they stomped around the stage with their arms flying around and they shouted instead of singing.

The visiting acts were slightly better on Carnival than we have had in Princess

The late night ‘adult only entertainment’ was awful I do not mind a blue comedian who is funny with plays on words etc but a man who just rambles on with every 3rd word commencing with F does not amuse me I tried 3 of these shows and gave up after a few minutes each time. This room would be better used as a film show room which I sorely missed from Princess

 

Casino For ME definitely Princess (although Carnival is no smoking which I loved)

I like a small gamble but only a few dollars a day On Princess the slots commence at 5c a spin and then 9c 11c 15c etc Carnival lowest spin was 25c and only 5 machines had this low offer.

Saved me a bit of money

In the same vein Bingo they wish you to pay the same amount per game for just that game no roll over jack pot with the chance to win big. So again saved me money

 

Debarkation Princess a winner

Very slow in Carnival and this meant most of us were about ¾ hour later than we had planned which was a worry when shuttle/taxi had been booked and pre paid.

 

Try Celebrity, especially the Solstice class. Much better then Carnival and Princess in all above areas.

[kendon]

If the Celebrity Summit is any representation of Celebrity as a whole, I can't agree AT ALL that Celebrity is better than Princess.

[Cruise a holic]

If the Celebrity Summit is any representation of Celebrity as a whole, I can't agree AT ALL that Celebrity is better than Princess.

 

While I have (and do) enjoy the summit, we take a suite and get lots of perks, and yes she isn't representative of the Celebrity experience

as she is old now and needs serious updating. The service is great on that ship, so we come back.

 

We do however enjoy leaving from NJ. As you, we live on LI and it is great.

 

Thus far, IMO the solstice class ships are the best. Our favorites are the Silhouette and Reflection. We found Princess to be the "no frills" cruise line and extremely crowded. We rented a spot at the Sanctuary for the entire week we sailed as finding a spot by the pool in the shade was almost impossible. Chair hogs all over the place. The buffet was extremely limited, perhaps the poorest of all cruise lines we sailed on. The theatre, expecially on the Caribbean princess was too small for the crowds. We did like breakfast in Sabitinis and when she sailed in August from Brooklyn, did enjoy the no fly cruise.

Edited May 16, 2015 by Cruise a holic

[kendon]

We live down the road from you in Bayville! I got the feeling that the Summit was not a true representation of Celebrity as fans of the cruise line were disappointed in the ship. Perhaps some day I'll try one of the newer Celebrity ships. I'm getting bored with the 7 day Caribbean itinerary that Princess has these days.

 

As for Carnival, I'm hesitant...not sure the demographic suits us.

[Cruise a holic]

We live down the road from you in Bayville! I got the feeling that the Summit was not a true representation of Celebrity as fans of the cruise line were disappointed in the ship. Perhaps some day I'll try one of the newer Celebrity ships. I'm getting bored with the 7 day Caribbean itinerary that Princess has these days.

 

As for Carnival, I'm hesitant...not sure the demographic suits us.

 

I agree about Carnival- Going on NCL Breakaway for the first time this August, we are in the Haven. We "anticipate" a great trip- a change from the summit. We recently sailed on the Quantum- what a disappointment. Cancelled our pending Anthem cruise.

Edited May 16, 2015 by Cruise a holic

[shredie]

I did not find Carnival's Casino to be non-smoking. There were only 5 slot machines up against a wall that were non-smoking and people kept trying to smoke there. I also found that people came into the casino just to smoke and not even play the machines!

 

That's been my experience with Carnival. I also have a different opinion of the Carnival buffet; I much prefer it to Princess. In every other aspect, though, I tend to agree with you about the differences.

[Matcodixon]

While I have (and do) enjoy the summit, we take a suite and get lots of perks, and yes she isn't representative of the Celebrity experience

as she is old now and needs serious updating. The service is great on that ship, so we come back.

 

We do however enjoy leaving from NJ. As you, we live on LI and it is great.

 

Thus far, IMO the solstice class ships are the best. Our favorites are the Silhouette and Reflection. We found Princess to be the "no frills" cruise line and extremely crowded. We rented a spot at the Sanctuary for the entire week we sailed as finding a spot by the pool in the shade was almost impossible. Chair hogs all over the place. The buffet was extremely limited, perhaps the poorest of all cruise lines we sailed on. The theatre, expecially on the Caribbean princess was too small for the crowds. We did like breakfast in Sabitinis and when she sailed in August from Brooklyn, did enjoy the no fly cruise.

 

You are obviously a big fan of Celebrity, but what does that have to do with a comparison between Carnival and Princess? Just curious..

[kendon]

Nothing specifically...but comparing cruise lines is always interesting/helpful. I don't think anyone minded that hijack (which, by the way, I contributed to). Most threads come full circle anyway.

Edited May 16, 2015 by kendon

[DrivesLikeMario]

I like Carnival's buffet compared to Princess due to the variety and the way it's set up, but in just about every other area, Princess wins IMO.

 

Thanks for your comparison. It was interesting to read.

[eandj]

If the Celebrity Summit is any representation of Celebrity as a whole, I can't agree AT ALL that Celebrity is better than Princess.

 

Princess took some of the amenities off the new X ships when they designed the Royal and Regal. They needed to upgrade to compete with X.

Edited May 16, 2015 by eandj

[OCruisers]

windsor26 .... Thanks so much for your time to do this comparison! :)

 

LuLu

[shepp]

I'm getting bored with the 7 day Caribbean itinerary that Princess has these days.

 

As for Carnival, I'm hesitant...not sure the demographic suits us.

 

I'm not sure either, but I too wish Princess did more interesting things in the Caribbean. I just yesterday booked my first Carnival cruise: Southern Caribbean, 11 days from New Orleans to San Juan. Not some same-old-same-old B2B via FLL.

 

I booked an inside spa cabin on the Carnival Dream in a semi-secluded part of the ship that's near the (free) adult-only area. The additional portion of the fare that give me access to the Thalasso pool and the fancy steam rooms is significantly less than it would have cost to book the Sanctuary on a Princess ship. So we'll see. At least we'll have a nice little spa retreat.

 

Only thing is, it's right under the Thalasso pool, which was pretty much all that was left. Anyone ever have a cabin under a Thalasso pool? Noise of pumps overhead?

Edited May 16, 2015 by shepp

[GandM-nq]

I did not find Carnival's Casino to be non-smoking. There were only 5 slot machines up against a wall that were non-smoking and people kept trying to smoke there. I also found that people came into the casino just to smoke and not even play the machines!

OP is from Australia. Their Carnival experience might well have been on a Carnival cruise from Australia. In that case, they were correct in stating that there was no smoking in the casino. On Australian based Carnival's, smoking is only in designated exterior open deck areas - no smoking anywhere inside ship.

[windsor26]

OP is from Australia. Their Carnival experience might well have been on a Carnival cruise from Australia. In that case, they were correct in stating that there was no smoking in the casino. On Australian based Carnival's, smoking is only in designated exterior open deck areas - no smoking anywhere inside ship.

 

Yers this is correct but strangely enough on Princess Australian based cruises there is smoking allowed in the casino except in the evening of formal night. Of course even then there is residual smoke from the rest of the day

[candigirl41]

I have to say I loved both cruises. I really missed the piano bar on Carnival as it is a sing a long which is different then princess. I found nothing in the buffet on Princess the first day to eat. The offerings were sparse. Carnival has the made to order sandwich area which I really enjoy. I did not starve on Princess as the International Cafe more than made up for the poor buffet. I am not a big buffet person anyway but on Princess I couldn't even find a decent salad bar type area the first day. I may have missed something but the lines were so long I gave up. I ate most of my breakfasts in the dining room which was nice. Glad to see other comparisons it really gives you a good idea of what is out there.

 

Candi

[kendon]

candigirl, there is a sing along in the piano bar (Crooners) if the pianist takes it in that direction. For example Bert Stratton encourages sing alongs, but not all do. :)

[Cruise a holic]

You are obviously a big fan of Celebrity, but what does that have to do with a comparison between Carnival and Princess? Just curious..

 

Having sailed a few times on Carnival as well, IMO Carnival draws a different demographic. It is "bargain " cruise line and all areas reflect that. It is great for the under thirty party crowd. Princess draws a different demographic. Since they are both owned by Carnival, many similarities, crowding, mediocre food, lots of smoking, however, we actually enjoyed carnival 's food more then Princess. Just wanted to offer a step outside of the box option for those who are considering Carnival or Princess.

 

If you are the Princess Demographic, you might enjoy a Celebrity Solstice class experience.

[hubofhockey]

Nothing specifically...but comparing cruise lines is always interesting/helpful. I don't think anyone minded that hijack (which, by the way, I contributed to). Most threads come full circle anyway.

 

I don't mind it either. We are always looking for alternatives. I am amused by the Carnival/Princess comparisons because the two lines are supposed to be different. They are sister brands of the Carnival Corporation, with Princess being a more upscale grown up and slightly more upscale version of Carnival.

 

The Princess/Celebrity comparisons have always been more interesting to me as pricing is similar and so is the target demographic. We have not yet tried Celebrity and are intrigued by the Solstice class. From what I have read and heard, that class is where Celebrity stepped up and I have seen Princess response first hand. We were on a cruise on the Royal Princess. It was perhaps one of my favorite cruises ever, but it wasn't because of the ship. If this was Princess' response to the Solstice class, then that's a reason to look for alternatives. Next up for us is Azamara, but we are just waiting on Celebrity for the right itinerary. I'd like to try Aqua class on a Solstice class ship. I am sure we will be back on Princess, but we're also checking out alternatives.

[xanax]

Comparing lines is really only valuable with exact experiences on exact ships with exact tastes in entertainment, food, service, perks etc.

 

That being said, I don't feel Princess has any different demographic than Carnival. Except maybe on a 3 or 4 day. I've never done one on Princess, so cant compare.

 

I love the variety of all lines. If they all offered the same thing...pretty boring when trying to choose ships.

 

Well, wait, I do have to say I do like the balconies better on Carnival (overall). Especially the cove balconies on Dream and Magic. I don't want to wrong other lines, but i haven't found anything similar. Please enlightened me, if you have!

[R&S]

To expand slightly on your list I give Princess the winner in the category of suites. Carnival suites are really just a bigger room with some upgraded materials. Princess is normally a two room suite with an expanded bathroom and Sabatini's breakfast is a wonderful perk.

 

To add to your drink prices comment...The drink package (cheers) on Carnival is just for alcohol. On Princess it includes the coffee bar, milkshakes, bottled water, as well as the alcohol. A much better deal! The winner again goes to Princess.

 

Thank you for the comparison. Great stuff!

[PrincessLuver]

Comparing lines is really only valuable with exact experiences on exact ships with exact tastes in entertainment, food, service, perks etc.

 

That being said, I don't feel Princess has any different demographic than Carnival. Except maybe on a 3 or 4 day. I've never done one on Princess, so cant compare.

 

I love the variety of all lines. If they all offered the same thing...pretty boring when trying to choose ships.

 

Well, wait, I do have to say I do like the balconies better on Carnival (overall). Especially the cove balconies on Dream and Magic. I don't want to wrong other lines, but i haven't found anything similar. Please enlightened me, if you have!

 

 

There is a big difference in the demographics on a Princess ship versus a Carnival ship with Princess passengers being much...much....much older.....Carnival does not really have the same type of itineraries as Princess so I am sure that influences the demographics....;)