Carnival versus Princess from my recent cruise

[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.

[momof3cruisers]

Interesting comparison.

 

When I sailed Princess and Carnival within a few months of each other, I found the drink prices very comparable. Never seen $11 for a cider, but I have also never sailed from Sydney.

 

I agree whole heartedly about the comediennes. On Princess, we laughed SO hard but on Carnival I only ever go to family friendly shows. They are hit or miss. The adult only are often trying to be funny simply by being vulgar.

 

As for the casino, that is different from my experience too. I never do higher than penny or nickel slots and have always found several machines. Never been on Legend, though.

 

Our cabin on Carnival was way bigger, but the Princess balcony was much nicer.

[windsor26]

Interesting comparison.

 

When I sailed Princess and Carnival within a few months of each other, I found the drink prices very comparable. Never seen $11 for a cider, but I have also never sailed from Sydney.

 

I agree whole heartedly about the comediennes. On Princess, we laughed SO hard but on Carnival I only ever go to family friendly shows. They are hit or miss. The adult only are often trying to be funny simply by being vulgar.

 

As for the casino, that is different from my experience too. I never do higher than penny or nickel slots and have always found several machines. Never been on Legend, though.

 

Our cabin on Carnival was way bigger, but the Princess balcony was much nicer.

 

I do wish entertainers did not think that everyone wants to hear their foul language instead of true jokes

[ready2cruzagain]

OP I thank you for the review and I agree with most all of what you said.

 

I find that Carnival's drink prices are way more than Princess. For example, a Dos Equis on Princess was $3.95 on Carnival now it is $5.25. Princess also has a happy hour, buy one drink, get one free. Carnival does not have that.

 

I do like Princess's room set up better, I like the way the closet is arranged.

 

I definitely agree that trivia on Carnival is ridiculous. When we last sailed the Conquest it was several times a day. Even at 9:30pm at the walk way outside the casino where a band would normally played. I think this all depends on the CD. We had Gary Brierley and I hope to never sail with him as a CD again.

[love my grandkids]

Thanks for sharing

 

Like R rated shows but you dont need to say the F words in every joke in order to try and be funny.

 

Both have their advantages and thinking for Europe we will do Princess and Caribbean Carnival for now.

[Tapi]

Seems like the trend on recent threads is to compare Carnival with Princess. It used to be with Royal or NCL! [emoji6]

 

I do agree with most of what you wrote. Our last Princess cruise was, in so many ways, superior than our Carnival cruises. Nothing wrong with Carnival though. Each cruise line targets a different market, and Princess is for those seeking that extra attention to detail, better overall quality, and more elegant and subdued atmosphere. But many Carnival cruisers may find Princess too stuffy or boring.

 

Two things that I don't agree with:

 

1) The pillows: Princess pillows are HORRENDOUS. They were flat and cheap feeling. In all of my travels, both by sea and land, I have never run across pillows as awful as the ones on Princess. We loved everything else about our oceanview stateroom though. Even though it was tiny in comparison to Carnival's (150 sq ft vs. 220 sq ft), it was very functional and tastefully decorated, with a separate dressing area and plenty of closet space.

 

2) The Adults-only area: The Sanctuary on Princess was, beyond any doubt, more serene and beautiful than any Serenity Decks I've ever seen on Carnival. BUT it comes with a price which is unfortunate. In that sense I do give an edge to Carnival since theirs is free. But making it free also makes it more crowded and less enjoyable.

 

I wouldn't hesitate to sail on either cruise line again, although I would lean towards Princess for a more sophisticated, elegant, special, and adult oriented cruise, while I would lean towards Carnival for a budget minded, casual, higher energy, family oriented cruise.

 

Oh, one more thing. If dropping an F bomb every third word is the definition of funny adult comedy, then, Carnival is definitely better! [emoji12]

 

Thanks for your comparison!

Edited May 16, 2015 by Tapi

[AmberTeka]

We are two months from last cruise on Princess. We were on the Princess Regal to St. Marteens and St. Thomas.

 

We are sailing on the Carnival Sunshine over labor Day.

We are platinum on Carnival. Platinum on Princess.

 

Princess used to be my favorite. But they are under new management or something.

They have a new Caribbean menu that is the worst food I have ever eaten in my life. It is pork.....fired. steamed. boiled. grilled. roasted. served with Red Beans. Black Beans and /or rice. You think I joke? Pull up a new Caribbean menu if you can. They are highly guarded and you don't know you are getting it and you sit down your first entrée is

 

Spiced goat curry. I could not make that up. I wound up ordering from the Children's menu and then we just went to the Buffett. one thing about Anytime Dining on Princess under the new menu..NO lines. You never wait. Plenty of empty tables.

 

Talk about nothing to do. Instead of trivia's as they do on Carnival., everything is broadcast on "live" TV now. So you go into a cramped room, sit in theater seats and watch the Activities People.......entertain people they assume are sitting in their rooms .watching them. Insanity. Boring beyond belief.

Princess had a good product. It is like a cruse line gone mad to me. Shows were good. Alfredos was great. International court was great. Buffet was bigger than Carnival but not better other than they had HARD taco shells at the Mexican station.

Ship was clean

Staff Was wonderful

Our Obstructed balcony was not obstructed and the balcony was the nicest, biggest one we have ever had.............(get one on the "jut" the cabins that Jut out. Middle of Emerald Deck. Like 409...etc. Go to Renmar's web site to see pics of how much obstruction. In our case........NONE. but still sold as Balcony Deluxe Obstructed.

 

FLEEING BACK TO CARNIVAL

Food which can be eaten and enjoyed

Playing Trivia with PEOPLE. Not watching other people play for a camera where they think other people are sitting in their rooms watching them which they are not.

Both Casinos were tight as a tick. Never win in either one. DH plays roulette. Always wins. Life is not fair sometimes.

Three productions shows on Regal were really, really good.

Don't know about Sunshine, expect they will be just as good. Both lines do a good job on that. NCL does it best, but the other things are not as good as Carnival or Princess........as it used to be.

Saw no comedians.

Pool which my son in law and grandchild use....much bigger on Princess. Not crowded.

Why can CARNIVAL not put in a bigger pool? and we don't swim on the ship. We live in Florida and fear the sun. With good reason.

 

Wanting to see some CARNIVAL people. Always smiling. Always having a good time. Enjoying their vacation.

And nothing wrong with folks on Princess. Just not as exuberant.

And I am a non drinker. DH is very moderate drinker. We are in bed by 11. I just like to see people enjoying their vacations. Lends a happy air to the ship.

 

I am shouting. bear with me. My husband says we have more sea days than most sailors and he was in the Coast Guard. I think...YOU GET A LOT MORE BANG FOR YOUR BUCK WITH CARNIVAL THAN ANY OTHER CRUISE LINE IN THE WORLD.

sorry for the caps. I feel that strongly.

Edited May 16, 2015 by AmberTeka

[AmberTeka]

OP I thank you for the review and I agree with most all of what you said.

 

I find that Carnival's drink prices are way more than Princess. For example, a Dos Equis on Princess was $3.95 on Carnival now it is $5.25. Princess also has a happy hour, buy one drink, get one free. Carnival does not have that.

 

I do like Princess's room set up better, I like the way the closet is arranged.

 

I definitely agree that trivia on Carnival is ridiculous. When we last sailed the Conquest it was several times a day. Even at 9:30pm at the walk way outside the casino where a band would normally played. I think this all depends on the CD. We had Gary Brierley and I hope to never sail with him as a CD again.

 

 

 

A band would be playing outside of the casino at 9am? When? We are working on 200 days with Carnival and I have never seen that. How many people are even up at that hour? Who could possible be inconvenienced by that? WE are up. And other regular Trivia players. It is a great time to get acquainted. Form teams. Just get to know people.........some of whom you will stay in touch with for the rest of your lives...

 

 

different folks ..different strokes. Trivia on Carnival is what brings us back. But when we are on board to play Trivia, and enjoy the people we meet playing Trivia, we also go to the Casino. We always buy Carnival Shore Trips as we don't want to get left. We eat at the specialty restaurants. I shop. I go to the coffee shop a lot. We buy photos, especially if Grand Child is with us...and I have yet to go to a Trivia game on Sea days. Especially Super Trivia where you can find a seat unless you show up way early. Seems a lot of people enjoy them. And it is something you can do with your family, and not expect the F bomb to be dropped...etc.

 

I note that summer prices for Carnival are not dropping this summer. Yes. There is less competition than from last year.........but Carnival is doing well, or so they say on CNBC.

 

The things that irritate me on Carnival are the Deck Parties.......Like why do they have specialty buffets. Like the Mexican one. then? Why can't they do that in the afternoon? Why so late?

 

Different strokes for different folks. I think Carnival hits a sweet spot with most folks.....more than any other cruise line. That might just be me.

 

And for the Trivia. Without the Trivia.......we would be on a land vacation.

Edited May 16, 2015 by AmberTeka

[ready2cruzagain]

A band would be playing outside of the casino at 9am? When? We are working on 200 days with Carnival and I have never seen that. How many people are even up at that hour? Who could possible be inconvenienced by that? WE are up. And other regular Trivia players. It is a great time to get acquainted. Form teams. Just get to know people.........some of whom you will stay in touch with for the rest of your lives...

 

 

different folks ..different strokes. Trivia on Carnival is what brings us back. But when we are on board to play Trivia, and enjoy the people we meet playing Trivia, we also go to the Casino. We always buy Carnival Shore Trips as we don't want to get left. We eat at the specialty restaurants. I shop. I go to the coffee shop a lot. We buy photos, especially if Grand Child is with us...and I have yet to go to a Trivia game on Sea days. Especially Super Trivia where you can find a seat unless you show up way early. Seems a lot of people enjoy them. And it is something you can do with your family, and not expect the F bomb to be dropped...etc.

 

I note that summer prices for Carnival are not dropping this summer. Yes. There is less competition than from last year.........but Carnival is doing well, or so they say on CNBC.

 

The things that irritate me on Carnival are the Deck Parties.......Like why do they have specialty buffets. Like the Mexican one. then? Why can't they do that in the afternoon? Why so late?

 

Different strokes for different folks. I think Carnival hits a sweet spot with most folks.....more than any other cruise line. That might just be me.

 

And for the Trivia. Without the Trivia.......we would be on a land vacation.

 

Where in my post did it say 9am????:confused::confused: It states 9:30PM

 

Lots of people at 9:30 PM at the bar outside of the casino.

Edited May 16, 2015 by ready2cruzagain

[xeroxme]

Trivia?? Where is that played at?? I have never seen anyone playing it. Do you get anything if you win?

[ready2cruzagain]

Trivia?? Where is that played at?? I have never seen anyone playing it. Do you get anything if you win?

 

It will be posted in your fun times. Usually several times a day. If you win, you will probably get a ship on a stick or a Carnival Gold Medal.:rolleyes:

[love my grandkids]

The Carnival entertainment staff has been doing the same activities for years. Find that Princess is doing a lot of new and imaginative ones.

[pattimelt]

Now my comparison of Carnival to Princess is almost the exact opposite!! My interior cabin on Princess was TINY, and the hallway from the door into the sleeping area so narrow that I had to put my suitcase sideways and carry it instead of rolling it. My interior on Carnival? The hallway was wide enough for me AND my cabin mate to be there at the same time--sideways, but we BOTH fit!! My bed was even more comfortable on Carnival. I felt the Princess staff was stuffy. The Carnival staff was smiling and friendly. After my first drink from a waiter on Carnival, it was "Patti, can we get you another?" On Princess, it was "Madam" this and "madam" that. yuk!

 

No, I'm not a fan of the Farkus school of decorating, but I was so much more relaxed on Carnival than I was on Princess. I'm not even going to the price difference, either. I did the SAME cruise, just different lines-- same 4 day trip, same weekend (different years-2014 for Carnival, 2015 on Princess) and the Princess trip was 3 times the cost of the Carnival trip..

 

I guess everyone has their own preferences, but I admit, I am VERY happy as a Carnival type person!!!

[Tapi]

My interior cabin on Princess was TINY, and the hallway from the door into the sleeping area so narrow that I had to put my suitcase sideways and carry it instead of rolling it. My interior on Carnival? The hallway was wide enough for me AND my cabin mate to be there at the same time--sideways, but we BOTH fit

 

 

The reason for that is because of closet position. On Carnival, they are standard closets flushed against the wall. On Princess the close space is sideways creating a separately lit semi-private changing area that opens in front of the bathroom and away from the rest of the stateroom. True, it made for a narrow hallway into the stateroom, but it was a more desirable setup since it would allow one person to use the bathroom and change without disrupting the other person, specially if one is an early riser (like me) and the other person is not.

 

I do agree that Princess staterooms are tiny in comparison to Carnival but they are functional and smartly laid out. Although having extra space is nice, it's even nicer to have a cabin that is more practical.

[sanmarcosman]

"Talk about nothing to do. Instead of trivia's as they do on Carnival., everything is broadcast on "live" TV now. So you go into a cramped room, sit in theater seats and watch the Activities People.......entertain people they assume are sitting in their rooms .watching them. Insanity. Boring beyond belief."

 

To be fair this live TV approach is an attempt to entertain those under the weather with noro who are restricted to their cabins. In that case Princess should put TVs in the cabin bathrooms. ;)

Edited May 16, 2015 by sanmarcosman

[shepp]

Talk about nothing to do. Instead of trivia's as they do on Carnival., everything is broadcast on "live" TV now. So you go into a cramped room, sit in theater seats and watch the Activities People.......entertain people they assume are sitting in their rooms .watching them. Insanity. Boring beyond belief.

 

 

I'm over here because I just booked my first Carnival cruise. And while I'm not a Princess cheerleader, I'm sorry, but you're off-base. I haven't been on the Regal, though on the Royal, I did find the Princess Live "innovation" to be a waste. But there were indeed daily team trivia games aboard, though often in a less-than-perfect space. Whether that's currently true of the Regal, I know not.

 

But on my last sailing at the end of February on the Star, there were two daytime team trivia games, plus a night-time game show, often trivia-based. And occasionally yet another daytime game. A friend of mine currently on Princess just e-mailed me about trivia on his cruise. So - while granting I can't speak to your particular CD's scheduling - to imply that there's now no live team trivia fleet-wide is just plain wrong.

 

And hey, I like spicy food. I like black beans. I like pork. I like Princess veering toward more Indian stud, away from blandest-common-denominator. I'm widely traveled, have eaten all sorts of interestingly exotic stuff, and would happily order the goat curry. You wouldn't. OK. I've seen posts from people who quailed at the thought of goat cheese, too. Fine. More for me. But there weren't any other entrees being offered? It was Caribbean Night every night? They did away with the always-available menu? Really?

 

Like I said, I'm not a Princess cheerleader. But….

Edited May 16, 2015 by shepp

[shepp]

I meant "Indian stuff," of course, not "Indian stud." But Indian studs are nice, too.

[Lurkyloo]

While I enjoyed my Princess cruises, I can't say that I agree. I found tendering in on Princess to be a nightmare compared to our tenders with Carnival. I found drink prices about the same, and the worst comedian I have ever suffered through was on Princess. Food in the dining room was (to me) heads above on Carnival - Princess food was fine, but not great. I liked Royal Caribbean a bit better than Princess to be honest. We are all different have different preferences and that's fine.

 

Would I cruise Princess again? Of course, and we had a blast on the cruise. If the itinerary was what I wanted and the price is right I would probably go on another cruiseline, but my experiences on Carnival has always been better and I am excited to be cruising them again in Sept. ;)

[love my grandkids]

"Talk about nothing to do. Instead of trivia's as they do on Carnival., everything is broadcast on "live" TV now. So you go into a cramped room, sit in theater seats and watch the Activities People.......entertain people they assume are sitting in their rooms .watching them. Insanity. Boring beyond belief."

 

To be fair this live TV approach is an attempt to entertain those under the weather with noro who are restricted to their cabins. In that case Princess should put TVs in the cabin bathrooms. ;)

 

We saw this on Royal Princess and the room holds a good 200 people so would hardly call it cramped. Was interesting to see the preshow part. Would never watch this from our cabin TV but live had some fun shows.

Edited May 16, 2015 by love my grandkids

[BullDawg91]

I meant "Indian stuff," of course, not "Indian stud." But Indian studs are nice, too.

 

 

Ha! I was wondering about that.

[windsor26]

Thank you everyone for your replies and comment. I do not know about this TV trivia and etc as obviously it is on the new large ships which we in Oz do not have (thank goodness for me):)

Again everyone has a different idea of food choices but the quality of the meat on OUR Carnival Legend cruise was poor. When ordering a starter of mussles my DH got 3 - just 3!!

I found none of the sweets except the creme brulee and the pecan butter ice cream, (and of course I gather the melted chocolate cake - I do not eat chocolate) was edible It saved loads of calories for our table so cannot grumble.

I forgot to mention I love fresh water in my swimming Pool and Carnival has salt.;);)

The room we always book is inside so thed balcony and suite details do not make a difference to me

Edited May 16, 2015 by windsor26

[AmberTeka]

Ditto on the Indian Stud thing. Just to admire at a distance, of course.

 

On the Caribbean Menu, which I think will be tweaked or changed due to complaints and empty tables in MDR

All three starters were usually Immersion foods code of pork and beans and or rice. highlyspiced. I grew up in Alabama where a bottle of green pepper sauce which could blow the heads off of innocents..........was always on the table. Have not toured the world and eaten in a lot of places, but live in a navy town where Thai and Philippine food is a staple. And love ti all.

 

There was a green salad with tomatoes and or radishes and carrots ONE night. Cesar salad was up every night, but I don't like the raw egg in the salad dressing. My DH loves it. We had Cold fruit soup ONE night. So I ordered Caribbean veggie soup one night. First time since I was pregnant 33 years ago that I woke up with heartburn. Had to go to Calypso Bay and buy some tums the next day.

 

the night the One American/European/Asian choice was Fried Chicken....while the other entrees were Goat curry. And sorry I like goats. Don't eat them just a cultural difference. And one veggie entree with two pork and rich and beans in some combination..It was that night after night.

 

The comments on the Princess Board can verify the unhappiness with that. NO ONE minds diversity. No one minds cultural dishes. Port of place dishes. But EVERy DISH.....or almost every dish. No green salads.

 

And Princess had a huge buffet. We never did explore it all. Once we decided nothing was changing and went there for dinner........Plus Alfredo's which was great.....it was not an issue.

 

But I still am not booking Princess again until the change that menu. The food was NOT GOOD. It was dry. It was not tasty. When the high point of a meal is your roll and a bit of butter...something is wrong. And as I said.....lots of empty tables on the Regal. That will get things changing.

Then we will sail it again.

 

We had some Trivia games on the Regal. But many were on the Live Broadcast. The room we used was on the Seventh deck. Not that big. Theater seats.

Ron Goodman was supposed to be CD and he is fabulous.But he was not on the ship. I never did figure out who was CD. Jepardize Trivia was :Live TV. All of the identify whatever places in the world...LIve Tv. The early morning Trivia was live with a Cruise Director.......................almost all of the other ones were done in the TV room.

 

Not big crowds either.

I was the biggest Princess Cheerleader in the world. The Regal was lovely. But I would think a long time before I got back on it. Everything is subjective.

 

I will say the Cabin..............E 409 was an eye popping cabin. HUGE balcony for an obstructed price and NO obstruction. I did love that. And the staff..........lovely. And I liked the production shows. Enjoyed them all.

 

But that MDR food. IMHO.......It was awful. And I taught school for decades. I can eat cafeteria food.........or whatever..............that food was just bad.

[love my grandkids]

goat curry? Yuck::(

[Acosmo]

AmberTeka, I'll be interested in your opinion after sailing the Sunshine. Did the Regal have the Crab Shack, seafood served in a reserved section of the Lido deck one evening?

[LynneL]

Sailed on Caribbean Princess in March (2nd Princess cruise) & took my 20th Carnival cruise on the Pride just 2 weeks ago so I don't have equal experience on both.

 

I certainly enjoyed my Princess cruise - not limited to goat meat & Indian food at any of the meals I went to. I was sick one day & didn't eat that day but believe me I would have heard about it if my husband only had those choices. I enjoyed each night's dinners on both cruises.

 

Some differences:

 

Hated the buffet set-up on the Caribbean Princess. You were corraled into an area & if you wanted to go back for a dessert it required waiting on line with those waiting to fill their plates with food. I like Carnival's spread out areas - just walk up to the dessert area or get some cheese & crackers at another, etc. I did love the International Cafe on Princess where I could grab that delicious chicken salad or other light items.

 

We had anytime dining on both. On Princess we were always seated with others at a large table. We met really nice, interesting people but one night I just didn't feel like I wanted to exchange small talk with new people. We asked for a table for 2 but were basically told no. It worked out in the end because 2 of the 3 couples they placed with us that night were people we met at prevous nights' dinners & they were all great. On Carnival they never sat us with anyone else & I was fine with that too. Many more tables of 2 & 4 available on Carnival if you did want quiet nights alone.

 

I liked the look of the Piazza area on Princess & the occasional daytime entertainment. Seemed cozier than the atrium on Carnival ships, though the Pride had some great singers in that atrium. Overall the entertainment was about equal; however my husband preferred Carnival's shows to Princess'.

 

Carnival wins for me on cabin size/set-up. I also found Carnival to have friendlier staff. Everyone greets you in the hallway with a smile & good morning/afternoon even if not your cabin steward. Didn't find that on Princess. Certainly no one was rude - just not as friendly.

 

I liked Movie Under the Stars with the nice chair covers on Princess. Very good choices of movies on the March sailing. Carnival now has Dive In Movies but I didn't care for the movie choices so never went to see any.

 

I definately found Princess to be more subdued. That was the biggest difference of the 2 for me. I'm thisClose to 60, barely drink & no late night partying for me so certainly not looking for any rowdy crowd, which thankfully neither cruise had, but I like to see people laughing & having fun. I'm sure the Princess cruisers had fun too, but it was just a little too low-key for me. All in all though I've never had a bad cruise!

Edited May 17, 2015 by LynneL