Is Princess the right line for our family

[cgolf1]

We are previous DCL cruisers looking to switch to another line due to the rising costs. I have to do this on the individual lines we are interested in because I didn't see a general thread where I could ask this.

 

My wife and I are late 30's early 40's with a college aged daughter. When we cruise our habits are as follows.

 

- Like trivia type events

- Like active events like a golf chipping contest for example

- Free cooking demos are always fun

- Not a fan of sitting around all day reading and laying out in the sun, so activities to keep us busy are key

- Enjoy comedy acts and production shows. Quality of both matters, don't mind off color comedy as long as it is done well

- We really like to swim, if there was a pool you could do mini laps in that would be great

- I love water slides, but only really do each one a few times a cruise

- Would be interested in what type of sports activities are available, mini golf, rock climbing, ropes course, etc

- I am gluten free, so they need to handle that well and easily, DCL does great with this.

- We generally eat in the mdrs, so decent food there is a must

- A good buffet for lunch and breakfast

- General theme is a decent selection of free food available on the ship, not a fan of upcharge meals

- We casually drink on the ship, but don't plant in a bar for a night, so would be curious about the drink packages. Going without soda probably wouldn't work for me

- Also looking for friendly service, I have a hard time believing that DCL hired the only good cms

 

Any insight on if we would be a good fit for this line would be appreciated.

[Thrak]

We are previous DCL cruisers looking to switch to another line due to the rising costs. I have to do this on the individual lines we are interested in because I didn't see a general thread where I could ask this.

 

My wife and I are late 30's early 40's with a college aged daughter. When we cruise our habits are as follows.

 

- Like trivia type events

Princess has multiple trivia events

- Like active events like a golf chipping contest for example

Never seen any of these other than chipping a wiffle ball into the pool

- Free cooking demos are always fun

Yes

- Not a fan of sitting around all day reading and laying out in the sun, so activities to keep us busy are key

- Enjoy comedy acts and production shows. Quality of both matters, don't mind off color comedy as long as it is done well

Princess offers both

- We really like to swim, if there was a pool you could do mini laps in that would be great

Multiple pools - all fresh water

- I love water slides, but only really do each one a few times a cruise

NONE

- Would be interested in what type of sports activities are available, mini golf, rock climbing, ropes course, etc

Mostly none although I've heard there is a putting green on at least one of the newer ships

- I am gluten free, so they need to handle that well and easily, DCL does great with this.

Yes

- We generally eat in the mdrs, so decent food there is a must

Yes

- A good buffet for lunch and breakfast

Yes

- General theme is a decent selection of free food available on the ship, not a fan of upcharge meals

Plenty of free food but there are a few upcharge venues available. Upcharge venues are currently in flux

- We casually drink on the ship, but don't plant in a bar for a night, so would be curious about the drink packages. Going without soda probably wouldn't work for me

Soda and More card sounds good for you. All soda (from a "gun") plus mocktails and, on some ships, shakes

- Also looking for friendly service, I have a hard time believing that DCL hired the only good cms

Wonderful service on every Princess cruise I've been on

 

Any insight on if we would be a good fit for this line would be appreciated.

 

 

See answers above in RED

[Working 2 Cruise]

Royal Caribbean is the line that probably suit you best. It does have rock climbing walls, ice skating rinks, a surf type of machine, and many other activities and very good shows.

 

That's my recommendation for you. We do love Princess but it may be too quiet for you.

[moki'smommy]

I've done Princess as well as 3 other lines. Princess experience limited compared to some other lines.

 

All of the above answers are correct. I'm choosing to expand on some.

 

Soda and more is currently $8 per night of cruise--coke products from gun, canned root beer, hot chocolate, and virgin drinks. No requirement that all in room buy same plan or any plan. Charges on other lines range from free soda to $8 soda only plan; I felt this was a decent deal.

 

There is plenty of very decent food in the MDRs. The upcharge venues are an addition, not a "all the decent restaurants are upcharges" the way some lines are. You can have good food every night and never go near an upcharge restaurant.

 

No water slides, minimal physical activities on board. Multiple pools, 2 designated as "adult only."

 

We were not big fans of the production shows. That said, Princess is introducing 4 new shows over the next year (our cruise had the old ones). Variety acts change from one cruise to the next, so hard to make generalizations. We've seen better shows on other lines.

 

Overall, we liked Princess and have booked more Princess cruises.

Edited January 17, 2016 by moki'smommy

[cgolf1]

Royal Caribbean is the line that probably suit you best. It does have rock climbing walls, ice skating rinks, a surf type of machine, and many other activities and very good shows.

 

 

 

That's my recommendation for you. We do love Princess but it may be too quiet for you.

 

 

This is going to be the tough part for us having done 12 DCL and no other lines, knowing that our next cruise will be more laid back. We do like DCLs smaller ships best which are a little more laid back in design, but yeh the activities are plentiful. We will have to adjust our expectations, which is fine, because different can be fun.

[denatravels]

You may want to look at Royal Caribbean's Oasis class. What I've researched about princess (and haven't yet experienced, so take it as it is)-- is that it's much more laid back for what you might want.

[moki'smommy]

This is going to be the tough part for us having done 12 DCL and no other lines, knowing that our next cruise will be more laid back. We do like DCLs smaller ships best which are a little more laid back in design, but yeh the activities are plentiful. We will have to adjust our expectations, which is fine, because different can be fun.

 

OK, I've done 30 cruises and almost 300 nights on DCL. If you go to the DCL section of these boards, I did a lengthy comparison of the two lines.

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2288391

 

We found more adult oriented activities on Princess. Like you, we prefer the DCL classic ships; I was surprised to see that the Caribbean Princess was made in the same shipyard as the Magic and Wonder. I knew that it was a few years newer than the DCL classics.

 

There are a lot of things to recommend Princess. BUT if you are looking for climbing walls and ice skating, that's Royal Carib.

 

We went on Princess considering it a "try out." While there are things we were not thrilled with, we were pleasantly surprised. And the price is certainly right when compared to Disney!

[cgolf1]

OK' date=' I've done 30 cruises and almost 300 nights on DCL. If you go to the DCL section of these boards, I did a lengthy comparison of the two lines.

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2288391

 

 

 

We found more adult oriented activities on Princess. Like you, we prefer the DCL classic ships; I was surprised to see that the Caribbean Princess was made in the same shipyard as the Magic and Wonder. I knew that it was a few years newer than the DCL classics.

 

 

 

There are a lot of things to recommend Princess. BUT if you are looking for climbing walls and ice skating, that's Royal Carib.

 

 

 

We went on Princess considering it a "try out." While there are things we were not thrilled with, we were pleasantly surprised. And the price is certainly right when compared to Disney![/quote']

 

 

I think we are going to need a dartboard to figure this out. You put Princess back in play, leaving only Holland out. We did just get off the Magic and I have to say Tangled their new musical was incredible, probably my favorite so far.

 

Your comparison was very helpful, thanks:)

[Colo Cruiser]

Yes RCCL.

Edited January 17, 2016 by Colo Cruiser

[paul929207]

My wife is extremely lactose intolerant. While this is different from gluten free, the handling on the ship is very similar.

 

We spent 28 days on the Crown Princess last October. They did a fabulous job catering to my wife's needs. On embarkation day, we talked to the Maitre 'd. He made a note of our needs and said to talk to the Head Waiter at dinner.

 

We had anytime dining. The Head Waiter came over every night with the menus for the next evening. He helped my wife select her dinner. He wrote it down and told our waiter the next night. He had special desserts made up and brought a plate of cookies several evening.

 

At lunch in the buffet, the head waiter there took my wife to the chef and they picked out her meal. As she ate, people would stop by and say "Wow. Where did you get that?".

 

In smmary, Princess did a wonderful job for my wife.

[denatravels]

My wife is extremely lactose intolerant. While this is different from gluten free, the handling on the ship is very similar.

 

We spent 28 days on the Crown Princess last October. They did a fabulous job catering to my wife's needs. On embarkation day, we talked to the Maitre 'd. He made a note of our needs and said to talk to the Head Waiter at dinner.

 

We had anytime dining. The Head Waiter came over every night with the menus for the next evening. He helped my wife select her dinner. He wrote it down and told our waiter the next night. He had special desserts made up and brought a plate of cookies several evening.

 

At lunch in the buffet, the head waiter there took my wife to the chef and they picked out her meal. As she ate, people would stop by and say "Wow. Where did you get that?".

 

In smmary, Princess did a wonderful job for my wife.

 

 

That's great, but I don't think it's unusual-- cruise lines would be out of business if they couldn't handle allergies appropriately.

[Coral]

RCCL is the line for your family!

[Colo Cruiser]

Yes they all do their part with diet requirements. :)

[big al]

We are previous DCL cruisers looking to switch to another line due to the rising costs. I have to do this on the individual lines we are interested in because I didn't see a general thread where I could ask this.

 

My wife and I are late 30's early 40's with a college aged daughter. When we cruise our habits are as follows.

 

- Like trivia type events

- Like active events like a golf chipping contest for example

- Free cooking demos are always fun

- Not a fan of sitting around all day reading and laying out in the sun, so activities to keep us busy are key

- Enjoy comedy acts and production shows. Quality of both matters, don't mind off color comedy as long as it is done well

- We really like to swim, if there was a pool you could do mini laps in that would be great

- I love water slides, but only really do each one a few times a cruise

- Would be interested in what type of sports activities are available, mini golf, rock climbing, ropes course, etc

- I am gluten free, so they need to handle that well and easily, DCL does great with this.

- We generally eat in the mdrs, so decent food there is a must

- A good buffet for lunch and breakfast

- General theme is a decent selection of free food available on the ship, not a fan of upcharge meals

- We casually drink on the ship, but don't plant in a bar for a night, so would be curious about the drink packages. Going without soda probably wouldn't work for me

- Also looking for friendly service, I have a hard time believing that DCL hired the only good cms

 

Any insight on if we would be a good fit for this line would be appreciated.

 

Cruise agent here..have been on all except Costa & MSC...IMO, RCI or Norwegian would be much better for you..Princess is outstanding, BUT a bit more laid back- no slides, ropes, rock climbing, etc..that's more Royal Caribbean & Norwegian..Norwegian has a promotion now here you get FOUR free nights of specialty restaurants ( unlike you I am NOT a fan of MDR's..too mediocre for me except Disney & Celebrity)..best entertainment also the big ships on RCI ( Oasis class, Freedom class or even Quantum class) ,or NCL Escape, Getaway / Breakaway...RCI has mini golf, surfing pool ( Flowriders), Central Park ( Oasis- wonderful!), ice skating shows ( fantastic!), and more..the diving shows in the Aqua Theater are simply spectacular, as is Burn The Floor ( latin dancing), Legally Blonde, and the Illusionarium magic dinner show on NCL Getaway...

 

As an agent , I would never send a young family on HAL, Princess, or even Celebrity, especially if they like activities- those mentioned lines are all wonderful in their own ways, but NOT for 30-40 somethings with a college age daughter..I may get slammed for this by the Princess cheerleaders, but if they read your post, they will see I am 100% right on this one...any specific questions on what ships/ cruise lines for you. let me know..I have cruised 32 times on RCI, NCL, Disney ( love it, even though no kids & 60+ years old, lol!!), Carnival, Princess, Celebrity & HAL...Good luck!!!

 

Big Al

[Coral]

 

As an agent , I would never send a young family on HAL, Princess, or even Celebrity, especially if they like activities- those mentioned lines are all wonderful in their own ways, but NOT for 30-40 somethings with a college age daughter..I may get slammed for this by the Princess cheerleaders, but if they read your post, they will see I am 100% right on this one...any specific questions on what ships/ cruise lines for you. let me know..I have cruised 32 times on RCI, NCL, Disney ( love it, even though no kids & 60+ years old, lol!!), Carnival, Princess, Celebrity & HAL...Good luck!!!

 

Big Al

 

HAL, Princess and Celebrity are fine for that age group if they do not want high activities like the one mentioned.

 

I am not a Princess cheerleader (people attack me for being critical of them and their decline) and I have cruised more then you and on just as many lines as you have.

 

As someone who was in my 20's and early 30's, I did like these lines as I like to escape from a high stress job and like to relax, read and hear the sounds of the ocean. Also enjoy good food and good shows.

 

Though when I read what they wanted, RCCL definitely stood out and I did not recommend Princess.

 

I would not say a blanket statement though about not recommending these lines to those in their 30's and 40's with college age kids. I know families who fit this description and hated their RCCL and Carnival cruise experience as it was too loud and obnoxious. I couldn't tell if your blanket statement was a blanket statement or a blanket statement especially with those who like specific activities the OP mentioned.

 

At all ages -everyone is different and want different things out of their cruise experience.

Edited January 18, 2016 by Coral

[denatravels]

 

I may get slammed for this by the Princess cheerleaders, but if they read your post, they will see I am 100% right on this one...

 

 

YOU should read the posts-- pretty sure that (even on a princess thread), most have recommended Royal Caribbean to be better suited to their needs.

[big al]

HAL, Princess and Celebrity are fine for that age group if they do not want high activities like the one mentioned.

 

I am not a Princess cheerleader (people attack me for being critical of them and their decline) and I have cruised more then you and on just as many lines as you have.

 

As someone who was in my 20's and early 30's, I did like these lines as I like to escape from a high stress job and like to relax, read and hear the sounds of the ocean. Also enjoy good food and good shows.

 

Though when I read what they wanted, RCCL definitely stood out and I did not recommend Princess.

 

I would not say a blanket statement though about not recommending these lines to those in their 30's and 40's with college age kids. I know families who fit this description and hated their RCCL and Carnival cruise experience as it was too loud and obnoxious. I couldn't tell if your blanket statement was a blanket statement or a blanket statement especially with those who like specific activities the OP mentioned.

 

At all ages -everyone is different and want different things out of their cruise experience.

 

I go by facts & what others have reported- I am a perfect example- NO KIDS..in my 60's but love Disney..some say I am psychotic for saying that but I found that IF you don't mind kids & families, Disney is great, even for seniors like me...in the cruise business, there are standards- such as Disney is young, HAL, Princess & Celebrity are more laid back ( some have told me all those cruise lines are DONE by 10-11 PM..)..Carnival for activities oriented & lower pricing, good ports of call...just went on the Regal Princess in April..loved her , BUT I would not send my nieces ( 24-26 ) on her..too laid back & not enough energy..also we get average ages ( not available to the public) of passengers...Princess is 50, Celebrity 49, HAL 54, RCI 44, Norwegian 41, Carnival 40, Disney 34...pretty much what I have seen myself...when I cruised HAL at 53 yrs old, I was the youngest on that ship by about 25 years..no exaggeration..BUT, that's OK..we need ships for every cruise population...variety is the spice of life and I say different strokes for different folks ( courtesy of Sly Stone 1971)...

 

Big Al

[nycruise]

Although Princess is our favorite line, Royal Caribbean might suit you best.

 

Check out the new Quantum Class Ships like Anthem of the Seas and soon to be Ovation of the Seas. They have all the usual bells and whistles of a RCCL ship but have added Bumper Cars, Circus School, North Star (lifts you over the ship and ocean in a kind of space capsule) and Ifly (sky diving) to the mix along with the Bionic Bar which has robots for bartenders.

 

Also they have a showroom called 270 which is the most high tech you'll see on land or sea. It gives your 270 degree views of the ocean and the windows turn into projection screens during show times. They have a show called Spectre's Cabaret that will knock your socks off, incorporating tons of technology and acrobatics.

[Coral]

I go by facts & what others have reported- I am a perfect example- NO KIDS..in my 60's but love Disney..some say I am psychotic for saying that but I found that IF you don't mind kids & families, Disney is great, even for seniors like me...in the cruise business, there are standards- such as Disney is young, HAL, Princess & Celebrity are more laid back ( some have told me all those cruise lines are DONE by 10-11 PM..)..Carnival for activities oriented & lower pricing, good ports of call...just went on the Regal Princess in April..loved her , BUT I would not send my nieces ( 24-26 ) on her..too laid back & not enough energy..also we get average ages ( not available to the public) of passengers...Princess is 50, Celebrity 49, HAL 54, RCI 44, Norwegian 41, Carnival 40, Disney 34...pretty much what I have seen myself...when I cruised HAL at 53 yrs old, I was the youngest on that ship by about 25 years..no exaggeration..BUT, that's OK..we need ships for every cruise population...variety is the spice of life and I say different strokes for different folks ( courtesy of Sly Stone 1971)...

 

Big Al

 

I sailed HAL in my late 30's and was not the youngest and didn't feel out of place. There were a lot of families on board. Sailed Carnival in my 20's and hated it. Have not been back. Also sailed Princess in my 20's and loved it.

 

I work at a college and surprisingly, there are college students there. Many of them come back hating cruising as their TA recommended Carnival and RCCL. I wonder if they go on a cruise with more enrichment programs, they would like it. My (new) nephew in law did a family trip on HAL to Alaska in his teens and loved it.

 

My point is - examine what the person's interests are. Not every young person is into loud and obnoxious. Again, not every older person is into sedation and classical music.

 

You remind me of the first TA I went to. She saw my age and said I would love Carnival. She was dead wrong.

 

Based on the OP - I do believe RCCL would be a good choice.

[moki'smommy]

also we get average ages ( not available to the public) of passengers...Princess is 50, Celebrity 49, HAL 54, RCI 44, Norwegian 41, Carnival 40, Disney 34...pretty much what I have seen myself...

 

Big Al

 

I find these interesting. One of the reasons we like Princess better than Celebrity is that (at least on our cruises), Princess had a much wider age range with more young people--like teens and 20s. I would place the average age on OUR Celebrity cruise as somewhere in the 60s. We saw a few young families on Celebrity, but very few while on Princess we saw many multi-generational families.

 

I'm also a bit surprised at the DCL average age. While I don't doubt that most of the parents are in their late 20s and early 30s, an average of 34 would mean that for every 3 year old, there is a "60 something." Yes, we've seen plenty of grandparents on DCL and adults without kids (we are in that group), but an average of 34--too many little people for that number. We LOVE the long DCL cruises in part because they are mostly adults, but even on these we have been told that there were 400 toddlers on board. In fact, the CD commented on our most recent Trans-Atlantic that they appreciated in advance that there would be 600 kids rather than a normal 1000-1200; they didn't realize that 400 of them would be age 3 and under.

 

SO, while I find your quoted average ages to be interesting and appreciate that they may reflect the line overall, they do not reflect the specific cruises we have chosen.

[swilliams1660]

We just returned from a big family cruise on NCL Getaway. It was great for the young families as they all loved the ropes course and the free-fall water slides. The shows were outstanding. Princess is still the favorite for DW & me, but I now can understand why the younger families may lean another direction.

[cgolf1]

Cruise agent here..have been on all except Costa & MSC...IMO, RCI or Norwegian would be much better for you..Princess is outstanding, BUT a bit more laid back- no slides, ropes, rock climbing, etc..that's more Royal Caribbean & Norwegian..Norwegian has a promotion now here you get FOUR free nights of specialty restaurants ( unlike you I am NOT a fan of MDR's..too mediocre for me except Disney & Celebrity)..best entertainment also the big ships on RCI ( Oasis class, Freedom class or even Quantum class) ,or NCL Escape, Getaway / Breakaway...RCI has mini golf, surfing pool ( Flowriders), Central Park ( Oasis- wonderful!), ice skating shows ( fantastic!), and more..the diving shows in the Aqua Theater are simply spectacular, as is Burn The Floor ( latin dancing), Legally Blonde, and the Illusionarium magic dinner show on NCL Getaway...

 

As an agent , I would never send a young family on HAL, Princess, or even Celebrity, especially if they like activities- those mentioned lines are all wonderful in their own ways, but NOT for 30-40 somethings with a college age daughter..I may get slammed for this by the Princess cheerleaders, but if they read your post, they will see I am 100% right on this one...any specific questions on what ships/ cruise lines for you. let me know..I have cruised 32 times on RCI, NCL, Disney ( love it, even though no kids & 60+ years old, lol!!), Carnival, Princess, Celebrity & HAL...Good luck!!!

 

Big Al

 

At this point we may have RCCL as the leader in the clubhouse, especially with their BOGO offer right now, but moki'smommy's comparison of DCL to Princess opened my eyes too. I can make due with a gym and running track if need be, DCL lacks a bit in active stuff too. We are torn because we don't want to compromise on service either, and I have always heard good things about Princess and Celebrity. We are also interested in a longer term line to build up some perks too, so the less time we take to find a new line the better. If I have to compromise on active stuff now, knowing my activity level will change in the future, I can live with it. I do know I can't have everything I want, so we will see.

[Mythros]

While I do consider myself an "active" person (I am 45), I don't like to wait in lines, or fight with crowds to do so. A good friend of mine actively cruises RCI and often comments that the "popular" activities often have large line ups. I prefer to schedule "active" excursions in the ports of call, and keep my ship life for great meals, entertainment (from shows to music to the occasional trivia), relaxing and reading by the pool, and meeting new people at the cocktail venues.

 

Princess seems to fit the bill - and has done for the last 18 years for me.

 

Also, wanted to make a note that on most cruises I have been on, Princess has organized Ping Pong and Mini Putt activities. They also do "wacky pool games" (not to the extreme of Carnival by any means) on warm weather cruises.

[FloridaCrazy]

Not able to comment on Princess yet. We sail next month for the first time (royal). RCCL freedom class and larger have lots to keep you busy and I would recommend oasis or allure. My wife is gluten free (allergy) and RC has done well with it. I would say equal to Disney. We've sailed DCL 2 times, RC 4 times. We're worried a bit that this cruise will be too laid back for us! But $699 was too good to pass up so we're giving Princess a try.

[Wrldviewer]

I've been on Carnival, HAL, RCCL and multiple Princess cruises. Princess is my favorite! I am a very active person and am able to keep busy on the ship. I am in the gym every day and love being able to look out the windows while I pedal my bike to no-where. I do not plan on another RCCL trip and I will not miss the belly-flop contest and similar activities. Give me real activities! As others have mentioned, get your basic workout in for the day and then snorkel, kayak, or do other in-port activities. The CB does have a putting green and basketball hoop and organizes some activities but generally there is very little participation in those. Have fun on your trip regardless of the line you choose.