Carnival versus Princess from my recent cruise

[rickays]

I have found all comments on this thread interesting as only have cruised with Princess BUT THAT IS ABOUT TO CHANGE! Have just booked a cruise on Carnival Legend and will be able to compare the differences myself.

 

With all the cruises with Princess I have found there to be differences in each cruise. Take our last two cruises on Diamond Princess and they are chalk and cheese. Both were the same itinerary, only in reverse, for the same number of days. One had overcooked vegetable in MDR and the other they were cooked to perfection. Entertainment on one was almost non existant and on the other there was so much to do and not enough time! Different chefs and CDs can be the difference between an excellent cruise and a good cruise (I find all cruises to be good - just the variance of how much good).

 

I would most probably not have moved away from Princess except for the difference in itineraries. I want to do a cruise from Hawaii to Sydney, which I have enjoyed so much before, but Princess do not do this itinerary anymore, therefore I am forced to try a different cruise line.

 

Might be a good thing and I find that itinerary is the most important or might find that the cruise line is the most important .... time will tell.

[sjn911]

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

LOL..I want to go on Princess again...LOL..I always over try to say what i mean and goof.

 

This is a cute fix...for your very clear comments.

 

Well, we are backing the big Carnival when we want Princess or Hal now..Sarah

Edited May 17, 2015 by sjn911

[sjn911]

I have found all comments on this thread interesting as only have cruised with Princess BUT THAT IS ABOUT TO CHANGE! Have just booked a cruise on Carnival Legend and will be able to compare the differences myself.

 

With all the cruises with Princess I have found there to be differences in each cruise. Take our last two cruises on Diamond Princess and they are chalk and cheese. Both were the same itinerary, only in reverse, for the same number of days. One had overcooked vegetable in MDR and the other they were cooked to perfection. Entertainment on one was almost non existant and on the other there was so much to do and not enough time! Different chefs and CDs can be the difference between an excellent cruise and a good cruise (I find all cruises to be good - just the variance of how much good).

 

I would most probably not have moved away from Princess except for the difference in itineraries. I want to do a cruise from Hawaii to Sydney, which I have enjoyed so much before, but Princess do not do this itinerary anymore, therefore I am forced to try a different cruise line.

 

Might be a good thing and I find that itinerary is the most important or might find that the cruise line is the most important .... time will tell.

Enjoyed the thread too. Would love a cruise like that to!!

[AmberTeka]

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?

 

I will write a review when we get back. The helpful information on this forum as what cabin to book, where to eat to avoid crowds ( Havana Bar area for Breakfast and Taste Bar) has been solid gold.

 

The Regal did have it. We did not go to the Crab Shack. It was $20 pp and most of the seafood was boiled. They had fried shrimp as an appetizer. My husband is a Florida native, and he can do crab and shrimp boils..........spice them just right .....really well. We are lucky to be able to get fresh seafood fairly cheap here. People I spoke to who did go.........loved it.

 

Once we fled the MDR...we went to Afredo's. No extra cost. Menu. . I had a Green salad with a dressing that was new to me, and it was delicious. I almost licked the bowl. then I had Pizza............wonderfully thin crust. Very good. My husband had minestrone soup. He liked it a lot. Then he had an Italian dish, I forget which one...but he liked it. then dessert. Tiramisu and it was the same one served in the Sweet Shop in the buffet, but still very good.

we really liked Afredos If I had it to do over.......I would make TWO reservations to sample their menu more. Book early. It fills up.

 

The Buffet is huge. Station after station. One entire room is the Sweet Shop. they call it another name but it is cake. cookies. pastries. parfaits. In the morning it is doughnuts. pastries. cinnamon buns. It is Temptation Alley.

In the three nights we ate there.........I never did figure out what all they had. they had a Mexican station with hard tacos, which I like. They had a carving section with ham and turkey being carved. they had several salad stations with good ingredients and lots of them. they had fruit stations. Bread stations. Vegetable stations. One night I saw a large tray of BBQ ribs. I am from the South. So I ate one. I would call it a very tasty rib. Well cooked but still on the bone. Good flavor. Not too much fat.

 

If I were doing it again. I would go early to dinner. I would wear comfortable shoes. AND I would walk around the entire room before I so much as put a roll on my plate. They had an Indian Station. They had a grill station. They had a Chinese station. And yes...ice cream. Which is outside by the pool deck. Free but served. and not too good.

 

The ICE cream in the Gelato shop. Which is a couple of bucks a cone.is delicious. I took my grand daughter three times. they are very nice to children too.

 

The chocolate shop. Pricey. I went to buy a gift, one of the anniversary boxes of candy to take home to someone, and my grand child knocked over some candy bars. they could not have been nicer. And we walked out with more purchases than I had intended. All delicious.

 

International Café. Warm chocolate cookies at night. Loved it. Coffee bar. Went there daily.

 

It is hard to express what I felt about the Regal.

 

It was not The Star

It was not The Crown

It was not the Caribbean Princess

 

To me, most of the activities being in that small room...........and I am talking Trivia and games....not the sewing and knitting AT which I have NEVER seen a living soul go there...or the Zumba...or the drum beating............But the games being on "live" TV Little interaction with the Activities staff...........and the bad food. Bad in my opinion.......

 

I would read every review YOU can find on the Regal. then make a decision.

[OCruisers]

Nice well written comparison!

Thanks for your time to post it! :)

 

LuLu

Edited May 17, 2015 by OCruisers

[windsor26]

I have found all comments on this thread interesting as only have cruised with Princess BUT THAT IS ABOUT TO CHANGE! Have just booked a cruise on Carnival Legend and will be able to compare the differences myself.

 

With all the cruises with Princess I have found there to be differences in each cruise. Take our last two cruises on Diamond Princess and they are chalk and cheese. Both were the same itinerary, only in reverse, for the same number of days. One had overcooked vegetable in MDR and the other they were cooked to perfection. Entertainment on one was almost non existant and on the other there was so much to do and not enough time! Different chefs and CDs can be the difference between an excellent cruise and a good cruise (I find all cruises to be good - just the variance of how much good).

 

I would most probably not have moved away from Princess except for the difference in itineraries. I want to do a cruise from Hawaii to Sydney, which I have enjoyed so much before, but Princess do not do this itinerary anymore, therefore I am forced to try a different cruise line.

 

Might be a good thing and I find that itinerary is the most important or might find that the cruise line is the most important .... time will tell.

 

 

I thoroughly agree

It is not even comparing ships of the same line It is comparing cruises ON THE SAME SHIP. We have sailed Dawn Princess several times but the food on the Christmas day on that cruise was the worst food we have ever eaten out of home. Chatting to people from the Diamond Princess who were in Dunedin with us I found the comparison of Christmas Dinner was - as you say - chalk and cheese.

We tried HAL Oosterdamn and the entertainment was nil and the food was not good but Loyal HAL cruisers advised that this was not the norm for a HAL cruise and so do not be put off (I still was)

 

I never let anything really spoil a cruise for me if I am not making the bed and shopping/cooking I am happy However I do like value for my money so for me Princess - if the price and itinerary is right - is the one I would choose.

[livetocruise2005]

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.

 

LIKE BUTTON! We are also platinum on both lines. The Regal was the worst Princess cruise I have ever taken. I am happy again now, two Carnival Cruises on the Books! Everything about Carnival just seems more fun, the cruisers, the staff, the overall atmosphere. Carnival truly feels like the real Fun Ships when you return to other cruise lines.