Comparison: Princess vs. DCL

[Steelers0854]

Thanks for the info on specialty dining. We didn't do it as we were quite happy with late traditional.

 

 

 

International Cafe was on a 3 day "rotation" on our cruise. I loved the shrimp salad on day 1. It didn't appear again' date=' so I asked...and was told about the rotation. The desserts were also on a rotation. If you see something that looks good, try it. It MIGHT show up the next day, but might not. But Steeler is right--some things were there every day. It didn't totally make sense.

 

 

 

We were told that we were the last cruise doing the "soda only" package. They were supposedly eliminating it as it was confusing to the staff and had little demand. Ask on your cruise after boarding. It has definitely been removed from advance booking on line.

 

 

 

Got any info on the Diamond Princess? I'm having a hard time getting any current info on the Princess forum! I know changes have been made for the Japanese sailings...trying to figure out how it differs from the Caribbean Princess.[/quote']

 

 

Soda only package definitely has not been eliminated. But any advertising for it has, you just need to ask for it, atleast for the time being. They are obviously trying to push the more expensive soda and more package.

 

There is a rotation in the IC but in our experience it's random. I think they run with a product until what they made has run out then move on to the next item. We had pistachio mousse multiple days and the wonderful, deliciously addictive black and white mousse only 2-3 days. My guess is it took longer for the pistachio to be eaten, but it's just an educated guess.

 

As for the diamond unfortunately we have never sailed her so I can't really say.

[moki'smommy]

Thanks for the info--we will try to get the soda alone package! I'm all for saving a few dollars as well as calories.

 

My daughter still talks about the chocolate pie in the dining room at lunch! And yes, the black and white mousse was amazing.

 

Thanks...I'll do a post on the Diamond after our cruise since I really can't find much current info on any site.

[Steelers0854]

Got any info on the Diamond Princess? I'm having a hard time getting any current info on the Princess forum! I know changes have been made for the Japanese sailings...trying to figure out how it differs from the Caribbean Princess.

 

 

Ask and you shall receive. Someone just posted a thread reviewing the diamond.

 

Diamond Princess Review- Auckland to Sydney

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2331935

[moki'smommy]

Ask and you shall receive. Someone just posted a thread reviewing the diamond.

 

Diamond Princess Review- Auckland to Sydney

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2331935

 

Thanks!

[cisdarrin]

moki, your review of the two cruise lines mirrors mine in many aspects. When it comes down to cost, though, Princess clearly wins in the amenities vs cost area.

 

We certainly pay a premium to sail on Disney but should realize that there are other capable cruise lines (such as Princess) that can provide a great vacation at a very competitive price.

[carterd2002]

I really enjoyed this thread and the comparisons of DCL vs Princess. After sailing 3 consecutive cruises on Disney we will be sailing on the Emerald Princess this summer so it will be very interesting to do our own comparisons of the two cruise lines.

Edited April 7, 2016 by carterd2002

[moki'smommy]

I really enjoyed this thread and the comparisons of DCL vs Princess. After sailing 3 consecutive cruises on Disney we will be sailing on the Emerald Princess this summer so it will be very interesting to do our own comparisons of the two cruise lines.

 

Enjoy!

[cisdarrin]

I really enjoyed this thread and the comparisons of DCL vs Princess. After sailing 3 consecutive cruises on Disney we will be sailing on the Emerald Princess this summer so it will be very interesting to do our own comparisons of the two cruise lines.

My last sailing on Princess was the Emerald Princess. She's a beautiful ship and I'm sure you'll enjoy your cruise.

 

I should have included, in my review, that I enjoy Princess' Anytime dining. When not having a meal in one of the specialty restaurants, like Crown Grill, I prefer to eat when I'm ready. Disney's more regimented dining program is no longer my style but I do enjoy the rotational dining aspect on Disney cruises.

Edited April 7, 2016 by cisdarrin

[carterd2002]

My last sailing on Princess was the Emerald Princess. She's a beautiful ship and I'm sure you'll enjoy your cruise.

 

I should have included, in my review, that I enjoy Princess' Anytime dining. When not having a meal in one of the specialty restaurants, like Crown Grill, I prefer to eat when I'm ready. Disney's more regimented dining program is no longer my style but I do enjoy the rotational dining aspect on Disney cruises.

 

We signed up for the anytime dining on the Princess and I think we will like that better than the traditional dining arrangement. We haven't had problems with sharing a table with others in the past - I am outgoing (my husband and daughter, however, are not as sociable) but sometimes it can be exhausting trying to make small talk with strangers;).

 

We are also looking forward to trying the specialty restaurants on Princess because it appears that there is no age requirement like Palo & Remy have on the Disney ships.

Edited April 7, 2016 by carterd2002

[Loonbeam]

There is no age minimum on Princess except for some Chef's tables because of the galley tour and included alcohol. (Some ECs offer an alcohol free version, some like their wine pairings).

 

That said, note that the specialty dining on princess is a step or two down from Remy, think of them more like high end land chain eateries (Capital Grille)

 

 

We signed up for the anytime dining on the Princess and I think we will like that better than the traditional dining arrangement. We haven't had problems with sharing a table with others in the past - I am outgoing (my husband and daughter, however, are not as sociable) but sometimes it can be exhausting trying to make small talk with strangers;).

 

We are also looking forward to trying the specialty restaurants on Princess because it appears that there is no age requirement like Palo & Remy have on the Disney ships.

[Steelers0854]

We signed up for the anytime dining on the Princess and I think we will like that better than the traditional dining arrangement. We haven't had problems with sharing a table with others in the past - I am outgoing (my husband and daughter, however, are not as sociable) but sometimes it can be exhausting trying to make small talk with strangers;).

 

 

 

We are also looking forward to trying the specialty restaurants on Princess because it appears that there is no age requirement like Palo & Remy have on the Disney ships.

 

 

 

You may want to hop over the to Princess forum and read the recent posts on ATD. There are mixed reviews with varying experiences. YMMV and it seems to depend a lot on your party size and what time you generally enjoy dining at. The overall impressions seem to be that Princess doesn't do a great job at managing ATD. We always have done late traditional but will be switching to early traditional due to conflicts with the major entertainment options.

[moki'smommy]

You are correct that the specialty restaurants on Princess are specialty restaurants, not "adult only" restaurants.

 

Anytime dining gets mixed reviews. We had late traditional. I'm requesting early traditional just because late was at a restaurant at the far aft of the ship (a long way from our cabin) and some of the decks didn't go thru. By the end of the cruise, I had stopped getting lost! In addition, there are evening activities that interfere with late traditional. On the positive, we had a table for 2, and a lovely couple at the next table. We enjoyed great conversation with them, but could just as easily have been "just us" if it had not been a good mix.

[screamingreen]

After spending thousands last year to take the whole family to WDW for a week, was excited to see DCL offered a cruise to the British Isles on 6/5/16 which was the next thing on my husband's bucket list . At the time was leaning towards Celebrity and Caribbean Princess. Deciding to eliminate Celebrity as it embarked from Amsterdam instead of the UK, the fare for a balcony cabin on DCL was more than double the Princess fare. The cabins were going fast. Made the decision in December to book a mini suite on the Caribbean Princess as my daughter decided to go also. The fare on the DCL balcony was still more than double the mini suite, as that many more cabins had sold.

 

As we only have 1 Carnival cruise (5 years ago) under our belt, we definitely don't have much to compare. Last year Princess had the Royal do the British Isles and switched to the Caribbean (an older ship) for 2016, so I was very interested in reading your comparison

[moki'smommy]

We did the Caribbean Princess specifically because we were interested in the British Isles cruise this summer. It was my daughter's idea to "check it out" before we committed to the longer cruise. A balcony on DCL was 4 times the price of a balcony on Princess. An INSIDE on DCL was double the price of a balcony on Princess! We have also cruised on the Celebrity Infinity (Alaska).

 

There are things that each line does "best" and things that each could do better. Princess is in the process of placing new mattresses on all ships (they need them) and rolling out new main stage shows. As of November, the Caribbean Princess had neither of these. No word on when they will be starting on that ship.

 

Hope the info was helpful. I'd suggest that you check out the Princess boards. They are a little more difficult as there are so many ships, ports, etc. and a couple of "strong" posters who can be rather snotty at times. One thing I learned is that Princess give onboard credit to stock holders and to veterans. And their "frequent cruiser" perks are WAY better than DCL gives and based on a combination of nights and number of cruises. We're not at any sort of meaningful level yet, but our 2 cruises this summer are a step in that direction.

[screamingreen]

Have been reading the Princess boards constantly since this whole British Isles thing came up. In fact, Carnival had a new ship doing the British Isles when we came back from the Caribbean, but suddenly cancelled them after a month. We were more than pleased with Carnival. Our plane coming home needed a new fuel pump before we could get on it in Miami was the only hiccup. Since we're so inexperienced at cruising, we go for the destination we prefer, not the cruise line.

 

We're booked on the 6/13 cruise. I really wanted later in the summer, but my daughter, who is a teacher, could only be off in June.

[Silent Penguin]

Since we cruise primarily with DCL, I read this thread before my husband and I and our youngest child- a teenage daughter- went on our first Princess cruise (15-day Hawaii), and it was very helpful. Now that we have returned (just this morning), I will add to the discussion, in terms of what we value in a cruise vacation, all three of us were completely satisfied with what Princess offer. The jury's out on which cruise line will get our business in the future. As others have accurately and fairly reported, there are aspects of each cruise line that hold more weight depending on whether you are bringing children onboard, how you like to be entertained (especially on at-sea days), whether you are willing to spend more for certain "wow" factors, and your itinerary.

[MrsScooby]

Moki's mommy your analysis is beautifully done !! And very appreciated !

 

We are jumping ship from DCL to the Caribbean Princess for the British Isles cruise May 20 due to the cost difference. This will be our first non-DCL cruise and so accompanied by a bit of anxiety.

Your side by side analysis is just what I needed to feel a bit more comfortable with the change.

Thanks so much for taking the time to do ths :)

[moki'smommy]

You are most welcome. We also canceled the DCL June 5 and 17 British Isles cruises for the Caribbean Princess (Deluxe balcony cabin half of the cost on an inside on DCL!) We took a 1 week cruise on the Caribbean Princess just to try it out before we committed to a long cruise. Interestingly, the Caribbean Princess was built in the same shipyard as the Wonder and Magic.

 

They are different products, but both totally acceptable. I do hope that they get the new mattresses installed before our next cruise. Enjoy the cruise....and the International Cafe. Don't miss the pub lunch (no additional charge).

Edited April 20, 2016 by moki'smommy

[tammymacb]

Thank you!

 

I too jumped ship from DCL to do the BI cruise with Princess. As a platinum cruiser, I'm going from what I know to knowing nothing. And it's scary.

 

This review makes me happy with my decision.

[carterd2002]

Just a little something to add re: pricing of DCL vs Princess

 

I compared our 7-night Scandinavia for 3 on the Emerald Princess w/balcony coming up in July vs a 7-night Northern European in July w/balcony on DCL (can't remember the ship).

 

Princess cruise cost: $4,400

 

Disney cost: $11,345:eek:

 

As mentioned before, I've traveled on 3 Disney cruises and had a great time on each, but you will never convince me that Disney is worth nearly $7,000 more for a comparable cruise.

[moki'smommy]

Just a little something to add re: pricing of DCL vs Princess

 

I compared our 7-night Scandinavia for 3 on the Emerald Princess w/balcony coming up in July vs a 7-night Northern European in July w/balcony on DCL (can't remember the ship).

 

Princess cruise cost: $4,400

 

Disney cost: $11,345:eek:

 

As mentioned before, I've traveled on 3 Disney cruises and had a great time on each, but you will never convince me that Disney is worth nearly $7,000 more for a comparable cruise.

This kind of comparison is exactly what caused me to look at Princess in the first place.

 

Another thing to consider is the Princess loyalty program. They base it on both number of cruises and number of nights. The benefits are much better than those you get on DCL, especially if you are one of those families who like the longer cruises. On DCL, at 10 cruises you are platinum and get a free Palo meal. Yes, there are other little perks, but many have been decreased or eliminated.

 

On Princess, at 5 cruises you get a free internet package. The size of the package depends on the length of the cruise. At Elite (their top level) you get a stocked mini-bar including alcohol and non-alcoholic beverages. If you don't want this, you can exchange it for 2 coffee cards (which are also good for gelato etc). You get unlimited laundry service--the kind where they do it for you! Great on long cruises. Each level includes many other "smaller" perks, but these are the perks that mean something to me! And you get discounted rates on cruises...most of the time it is only $100 per person off a balcony cabin (at least on the cruises I've priced), but that's still worth something and is in addition to any other deal you can find/get!

Edited April 21, 2016 by moki'smommy

[jenseib]

Great comparisons! I did the Caribbean Princess a couple of years ago with my mom and I agree with most of what you said.

I thought the shows/costumes were great, but the singing was lousy....REALLY REALLY bad. Hopefully that set of performers is gone now.

 

We loved the atrium. We would go and sit and watch the activities, have a snack or just people watch. it seemed to be a much more happening place than the atrium on DCL ships.

 

Last Aug we wanted to do Alaska and I priced DCL, Princess and NCL. DCL was more than twice as much in an ocean view room. In the end we went on NCL (it was my 3rd NCL) and we got a penthouse suite for almost half of that ocean view room on DCL. Plus we had a drink package for all, tips paid for 2, specialty dining package for all and some money towards excursions in each port. We did have a few issues with NCL to start with, but we still had a fantastic cruise and I think my husband now does not want to pay DCL prices after experiencing such a good cruise with another line.

 

We did the anytime dining on Princess and we had no issues really with it. I prefer anytime dining anyways, so when I can get it I always go with that option.

 

 

You may want to hop over the to Princess forum and read the recent posts on ATD. There are mixed reviews with varying experiences. YMMV and it seems to depend a lot on your party size and what time you generally enjoy dining at. The overall impressions seem to be that Princess doesn't do a great job at managing ATD. We always have done late traditional but will be switching to early traditional due to conflicts with the major entertainment options.

 

We really had not issues with anytime dining. Only 1 night we had to wait a bit longer, maybe 15-20 minutes. They did try to get us to share a table each and every time but we did not want to, so we were willing to wait 5 minutes for our own table.

[STHCruising]

This thread is nearly a year old and we have recently competed our Canada and New England cruise on the Caribbean Princess (first on Princess) and have the opportunity to share our own thoughts on the comparison of Princess to DCL.

 

EZ Air - I will start with Princess EZ Air vs. DCL Air Deviations. I do agree that for selection and pricing of flights, Princess EZ Air is competitive. However, you need to get to your embarkation port for any of these logistics to be effective. In our case, Princess booked us on a 6:00 am flight from DFW to Quebec City on United, with a connection in Newark. At 10 pm the night before the flight, United advised us the flight was cancelled. They had a flight for my wife, but not for me. After an hour on the phone, we were rebooked on Air Canada, with two stops. I should have called the Princess 24 hour number, but more importantly, United only has a few gates in Dallas, and had we been booked on American, we would have had considerably more alternatives (we had just moved back to Dallas and did not understand how weak United was at DFW). Coming home, we spent some time (a week) with family in NYC and I wanted to come home a few days early. I called EZ Air and they said "call the airline" and the airline said "call Princess"! So, my assessment is EZ Air should have booked with the predominant airlines out of DFW, and, there is limited flexibility with EZ Air arrangements once the cruise is underway. I will schedule my own travel arrangements in the future. I gave Princess feedback and have received no response. I do readily acknowledge that Princess cannot control United, I just think booking United was not wise out of DFW in retrospect.

 

Transfers - We stayed at the Princess pre-cruise hotel in Quebec City, the Fairmont Le Chateau Frontenac, which was simply splendid! But, the desk to get passengers from the hotel to the ship was highly disorganized, we were sent to the wrong place, and ended up in a messy situation getting to the bus, which was delayed due to Quebec City traffic regulation. We have had great experience with transfer logistics with Disney. On our last DCL cruise, a 7 day Southern Caribbean followed by a 5 day repositioning to Miami, we were greeted at the airport, provided private transport to our pre-cruise hotel, and after the cruise driven by a car service to our post cruise hotel. Flawless. When we arrived in Quebec City, a Princess had a desk in the baggage area, gave us a Taxi voucher to wait in a line 30 deep to get a taxi.

 

Ship - I agree with most of Moki's comments. The Disney ships are just beautiful and tend to be immaculate. We could see rust in a few spots on the Caribbean Princess and I would not describe it as at the same standard as the Disney ships in terms of upkeep and cleanliness.

 

Food - like Moki we were assigned the Palm dining room. We had a great table at the back, and a really nice group of table mates. Two couples traveling together who were very inclusive. The view out the back each evening, whether it be a sunset on the Gulf of Saint Lawerence or looking back at Boston, was calming and peaceful (we all agreed to open the drapes). I did not find the food amy better than Disney, in fact they repeated a few of the dishes over the 10 days of the cruise. I also noticed there were no specialty bread dips like you see on DCL.

 

MDR Server/Crew - our main dining room server was cordial, and just that. He was going through the motions, just doing his job, not really engaging. One evening I asked a question about a desert, which he answered. My wife asked a different question about a different desert and he said "your husband already asked that question". My wife, who is a kind soul did not appreciate the rebuke.

 

Buffets - I was underwhelmed with the buffets. I do appreciate the fact they operate around the clock, but I prefer the themes that DCL provides in what is now Cabanas.

 

Pizza/Burger Bar - Moki is exactly right, this was really good Pizza, better than DCL. I also had a burger at the Lido deck grill a couple times, and it was better than DCL. They warm the burgers on the grill before serving which makes them feel more like they are right off the grill.

 

Ice Cream - the soft serve ice cream on Princes was really good, creamy and served with chocolate sauce or sprinkles if you wanted those added. DCL is usually self serve, and has different flavors in addition to chocolate and vanilla.

 

Beverages - we bought the beverage package on Princess. We didn't realize you could get milk shakes with the package until the last day. Just as well! What was frustrating, was there are no self service beverage stations where you can refill a soft drink. You have to ask a server to get it for you which can take time. Our Diet Coke never tasted right. We prefer the DCL self service approach.

 

Specialty Restaurants - we dined in both Sabatini's and the Crown Grill. While we enjoyed both meals, we find the experience in Palio's to be superior. The setting and ambiance of Palo on top of the ships, the complimentary champagne before dinner, the sorbet course, are just a few subtle differentiators. To us, Palo is not a meal, but a culinary experience.

 

Stateroom Host - knew our name from the beginning and we never had to wait on him to service the stateroom, or come back to find he had not serviced the stateroom. One of the best we have had.

 

Cruise Director - he was reasonably good, although told a few jokes you would not hear from a DCL cruise director (outside of the DCL cruise director staff skit at the end of a long cruise). We spoke to him one-on-one and he was friendly but reeked of cigarette smoke. Not impressive.

 

Casino - we don't gamble, but it is hard to enter the main doors to the Princess Theater without going through the Casino. We never could determine if smoking was allowed in the Casino, but the place reeked of smoke.

 

Shows and Entertainment - see Moki's original comments which we echo. The opening night comedian on Princess was great, but we had to stand up as there were no seats. The Walt Disney Theater is a world class facility, with shows produced by a world class entertainment company. And the difference showed.

 

Adult Areas - from Deck 7 aft to the lobby on the Caribbean Princess you have Sabatini's, the Wheelhouse Bar, and Explorers's Lounge. These are very nice adult areas that we enjoyed, especially the nice sofa's in Explorers. These areas are larger than what you would typically find on DCL. But, some of the events did not compare. For some reason, we enjoy the "Match Your Mate" event, which is much better produced by the cruise staff on DCL, who know how to get the participants to elaborate on their answers while avoiding being crude.

 

Passengers Demographics - several DCL friends recommended we try Princess. We are empty nesters, me in my early 60's, traveling as a couple. There were very few people younger than us on this cruise, and we saw, maybe a handful of children, mostly infants. My older brother loves Princess and says he could not deal with all of the kids on A DCL cruise. We missed the kids you see on DCL, and have met sone really nice people traveling as couples on DCL. This was not the most polite groups of cruisers.

 

Staterooms - we had a full suite in the aft of the ship. It was nice with a great view, but not nearly as well decorated as a concierge suite on DCL. And, it had only one bathroom sink, causing us to use the bar sink for that purpose. We did manage to check out other staterooms as well. The fairest comparison to a DCL stateroom is a mini-suite, in terms of interior and square footage. DCL staterooms generally have two bathroom sinks, which is a plus.

 

Price - we compared very similar Northern European itineraries for summer of 2017 on DCL to the comparable mini-suite on Princess. Princess is 40% cheaper.

 

Overall - we concluded after weighing all of the factors, that our strong preference is DCL. If economics were the only factor, it would be Princess, but to us a Disney Cruise is an experience, and a Princess Cruise is well, just a cruise. We love Disney's classic ships with bold blue hulls, the artistic flair of the interiors (both public and private), the staterooms, the entertainment and programming, rotational dining, and most of all, their enthusiastic and engaging crew, highly competent and engaging officers.

 

These conclusion are highly subjective. We will do DCL where it makes sense and they have interesting itineraries. We will consider Princess for unique itineraries where you cannot currently cruise on DCL (Asia, Australia, South America).

 

 

 

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Edited October 24, 2016 by STHCruising

[moki'smommy]

Wow, I'm surprised to see this thread appear again.

 

I totally agree that the most comparable level on Princess to a normal DCL cabin is a mini suite. The standard Princess cabins are small compared to DCL!

 

One point of question/disagreement. Princess did not assign us to a flight or airline. We have used EZ Air for two Princess cruises. In each case, we were able to view a list of flights available along with the cost of those flights and make our own choice. I did call Princess when one flight I could see on the airline's web site did not appear on the EZ Air list. They explained that the airline had not released that flight to them. EZ Air saved us a about $300 per person over what we could find on our own on line for each cruise. The other thing I like about EZ Air is that I'm not confined to the dates just before or after the cruise. For instance, on our Japan cruise we flew in 2 days early and stayed a week beyond the cruise using hotels that we selected and booked on our own. No problem, same prices.

 

We spent 3 weeks this summer cruising around Japan (and then a week in Tokyo). I learned that there is a LOT more difference between the various ships on Princess than on DCL. What I mean is that the DCL "product" is essentially the same across the fleet. Yes, the newer ships have more features, but they are still essentially the same. OK, the Diamond Princess had some retro-fits for the Asian market (adding a traditional Japanese bath and Japanese toilets in the public restrooms, for instance). But there were features that we liked on the Caribbean Princess that were missing on the Diamond. On the other hand, there were things that the Diamond did "better." It was just rather odd. And from what I've read, the newest Princess ships are a different situation as well, but there it is mostly added features.

 

Our Diamond cruise was really neat in some ways--we loved Japan, the bilingual staff, the language and culture classes, etc. But overall, the ship was rather blah. Our fellow cruisers were great. And yet, we ended up missing DCL. I can't wait till they do some new and interesting cruises! We're probably doing a land based vacation in 2017.

[STHCruising]

Thanks Moki'smomny, your posts are always thoughtful and helpful. In our case, we booked EZ Air through a travel consultant with Princess and did not know that we could have selected flights on our own. So, maybe that issue is as much on us, and the airline, as Princess. We enjoyed working with the Princess travel consultant, other than the selection of United. My personal preference for DCL is driven more by ship appearance and condition, crew interaction and other factors, some of which are admittedly intangible. We finalized bookings for the Baltic and Northern Europe on DCL for next summer. I worked some with DCL Air Deviations and ended up booking the air travel myself for a variety of reasons, mostly the flights and class of service I wanted not currently being in place yet with DCL.

 

 

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