Caribbean Princess Review 10/22/05

[spongerob]

Remember when Carnival cured Cancer? Then they bought everyone a puppy! Then they got every man, woman and child in the whole world to stand hand in hand and sing kumbaya until nothing bad ever happened again!

 

No, you're thinking of the Clinton administration, which was also a carnival but in a much different way. :)

[lahoban]

We have only cruised once and it was on Carnival. We loved that cruise. Our next one is on the CB. I am sure we will love that one also. When we were standing in line to leave the Miracle we just couldn't stop talking about what a great time we had. As we stood there, two people behind us began telling everyone around us how "horrible" the cruise was. The worst crew, food, entertainment ever! They were never comming back to Carnival. We just stood there looking at them. Were they on the same cruise as us? It's amazing how different everyone's opinon can be. Will I change my cruise on the CB because of this review? No. I can't wait to sail on Princess and the CB. We should not be afraid to share our opinon's on this board. Le Ann

[peterv]

Twinflow,

 

You are not alone in your thinking that there are quite a few differences between what you get on a Carnival ship and what is delivered on a Princess ship. Carnival appears to be giving a client better service and/or choices in some things.

 

Like you I took the Caribbean Princess on 24/09 and found the same issues that you reported, and gave my opinion on here after I returned. In fact I received some of the same snide remarks that you did. I also choose to ignore them for what they are.

 

It appears that stating your opinion on these boards causes no end of consternation to those that can't stand the thought that their chosen whatever is not the most perfect creation in the entire universe.

 

When deciding on a cruise, I choose the itinerary and then find ships that sail to where I want to go and when. Then make a decision based on price and knowledge about what to expect. I enjoy every cruise that I take and find this type of report to be most helpful. I want to know what the differences are and what expereiences others have.

 

I applaud you for taking the time to post about the things that were important to you, and how fresh in your mind the differences between the two lines. So often here we read posts of all complimentary items, how wonderful the food was, how excellent the staff was, how beautiful the weather, etc, but no real insight into differences that may/do exist between the ships/lines.

 

Your posting would be a perfect example of what someone who has only sailed Carnival but is looking into Princess would like to know. While I have sailed on Carnival, Princess, Celebrity and NCL each has something to offer, and I can find some parts of each that I enjoy. In the end they all boil down to one thing, a mass-market cruise line.

 

Cheers,

Peter

[cabana]

Stop it you guys are killing me, lol. We were on the ship the same time as Roe2ship. That is what you are calling yourself these days? The ship was grand as all get out. And I aint even a redneck! We did a back to back and loved the second week more then the first. Only thing was they had the same talent the second week. So it was 12 nights of Bert . I still have nightmares about it.

[sgriff17]

I've been on 4 carnival and have loved every one! I am going on my first Princess cruise in January and welcome all reviews - good and bad. We are very comfortable with knowing what to expect with Carnival, so information as to what is free and what isnt on Princess (Im ticked about the ice cream thing..grrrr) is valuable info for us!

 

We'll make our own opinions and won't be swayed by anyone, but their info is certainly accepted on our part :)

[Maryandi]

The OP took the words out of my mouth. Very well laid out Constructive Critique.

Carnival is far superior - Princess & Costa are similar - our favorite is HAL and we are young retireds.

 

To each his own, have fun anyway, MaryAnn

[sunnylin]

Hi -

First of all I do want to say that I find reviews very helpful - whether they are positive or negative. Thanks for your review and really sorry to hear that you didn't have a nice time. I am booked on this ship in Feb and have never been so now I am a little worried, but as stated what is good for one is not always good for another. The way I look at it is - no matter what happens I am going to be in the Carribbean alone with my husband for a whole week away from the snow soaking up the sunshine! All the rest is Bonus!

But....I don't understand the need to compare to another cruise line as that really isn't helpful at all. Most people look up a review to see what that ship and experience was like probably because they are soon to sail on that ship, as in my case I am booked on the CB Princess Feb 18th and have never been before. I am looking for all info I can find about that ship. Doesn't matter to me what Carnival, RCCl or any other ship is offering - I (nor anyone else) is likely to be changing at this point.

Just my 2 cents.

linda

[RPhCruiser]

because of one posters opinion, I have cancelled by Golden Princess cruise.I have never sailed Princess (like OP), but I just don't want to deal with rude wait staff, and definetly don't want to eat horrible pizza critiqued by someone else. Princess, you are done!!! Carnival, you are da bomb!

 

Now, will Princess refund my money??? I mean, Carnival and Princess are under the same ownership, correct? I'm assuming there will be no cancellation fees going from one's product to the other.

 

Fun ship all the way!!!

[spongerob]

Now, will Princess refund my money??? I mean, Carnival and Princess are under the same ownership, correct? I'm assuming there will be no cancellation fees going from one's product to the other.

 

I hope you are joking. Otherwise, you are out some serious bucks based on one person's comments...

[GeminiA]

I 've only cruised with Princess once (on the Sapphire) & I find everything on it to be satisfactory (with one exception) & never encountered rude staff. In fact some of them are really nice & helpful, & their entertainment is actually very good.

 

However, I find their quality of food to be substandard, the only acceptable restaurant is the extra charge specialty restaurant which serves very good seafood & pasta, but gives you way too much food, I wish they can cut down the quality & charge less.

 

Taste in food can sometimes be subjective & some people can be more picky than others. We put very high prority on food quality when picking cruise lines since a cruise is usually our annual long vacation that we want to enjoy as much as possible, so we don't want to be stuck with it for at least a week to two weeks on a cruise.

To us, the food quality we experienced on Sapphire Princess may be the reason we may not cruise with Princess again. However, we still had an enjoyable cruise overall, so don't get overly discouraged by some of the the reviews/comments you read to the point of considering cancelling your Princess reservations. As I said, I think they did everything else quite well except the food, so you may very well still find your cruise with them enjoyable.

[cynbar]

Food is a REALLY subjective area and I think we all need to keep that in mind. I've been on 7 Princess cruises----- in that amount of time, I've had several dishes I didn't care for, but the waiters always brought me something else. The buffet is fine for what it is, we have to keep our expectations realistic there. But overall, the quality has been just fine --- not the best food we've ever had, we are lucky enought to have frequent chances to eat in excellent restaurants in Boston and New York, but still quite satisfactory. I've also sailed on NCL and Windstar and RCCL and Celebrity (several times), and they're all feeding large amounts of passengers each day. There is a lot of variety on every cruise ship ---- I happen to love the Princess pizza, but there are plenty of other choices for those who don't.

[RvrCrzr]

Hi -

I don't understand the need to compare to another cruise line as that really isn't helpful at all. Most people look up a review to see what that ship and experience was like probably because they are soon to sail on that ship, as in my case I am booked on the CB Princess Feb 18th and have never been before. I am looking for all info I can find about that ship. Doesn't matter to me what Carnival, RCCl or any other ship is offering - I (nor anyone else) is likely to be changing at this point.

Just my 2 cents.

linda

 

I find comparing cruise lines very helpful in reviews. Just take a look at all the posts out there "Princess vs RCI" (and the like). Many people have only cruised one or two different lines and want to know how they compare with each other. I'm going to take a Carnival cruise in the future, and like to hear the differences.

 

I don't find it necessary to bash one line or the other, but to simply state the facts. I'd rather hear: "Carnival has free ice cream 24 hrs a day." Not, "Princess charges $1.00 for ice cream that Carnival serves for free. I'll never book another Princess cruise as long as I live."

 

THE PROBLEM: You have to weigh through all the posts from the FORUM SMART-MOUTHS who like to ridicule everything they don't agree with. (these are the same folks saving deck chairs, letting their kids run around, peeing in the adult pool, and smoking that cigarette upwind of your balcony) You get my point. (yea, I'm being a smart-mouth to the smart-mouths!:eek: )

 

So, unless you are still in the 9th grade...why act like it when someone writes a review?

[land lover]

As usual when I read the posts on a thread like this it brings a smile to my face......Certainly every one has a right to their opinion and sometimes it is good to vent on these boards......

 

I guess what I find amusing is how important food and service is to so many people.... what is important to me are the ports and my shipmates..If I want great food and service I go on a land base vacation or on a lux. cruise.....you pay for what you get.....

[cabana]

I have a few hundred pics online somewhere if anyone is interested. I just have to get my wife to help me find them. If some wants to see them they can e-mail me at cabana999@hotmail .

[Moondawgie]

Our Cruise Group was made up of 16 persons. Their ages ranged from a 9 year old girl to folks nearing retirement in their 60?s. We all agreed to never return to a Princess Ship.

 

One last note: on Friday evening I had a older couple tell me they have been on 39 Cruises all over the world. They also stated they would never return to a Princess Ship.

 

Sailing on the new Carnival Liberty 12/10/05 my holiday Cruise.

 

Well with those numbers, I guess something must have turned these people off.

 

I usually read these with a grain of salt since almost everything is subjective, but the OP was comparing what he is comfortable with to something new and the new line did not compare in his opinion.

 

Se la vie - I'm still taking my Princess cruise in April.

[Chat Noir]

To each his own... but I do like reading reviews. We were disappointed somewhat with our Carnival Alaska cruise this past summer, thus we're trying Princess for Alaska next summer, and probably won't sail Carnival again unless it's a bargain. That's not saying Carnival was ALL bad, over all we had a wonderful time, just that we feel another line may be better for us. Perhaps Princess will be it!;)

[Twinflow]

In the past year I cruised four times. 10/04 Carnival Glory, 12/04 Carnival Glory, 05/05 Carnival Victory and 10/05 Caribbean Princess. My next trip is the new Carnival Liberty 12/10/05.

 

Yes, my posting was mostly negitive as I posted the things I disliked.

 

The crew was not rude they were just not as friendly as Carnival's. The dining room waiters were excellent! The swimming pools are great! There are four pools and two are adult only. The crew was dressed up better then on Carnival. But they did not smile and I found several arguments going on with them. I could write pages about my Cruise. But, I can tell you it was my first and last Princess Cruise.

 

Sorry about the grammer, as I spent my life as a Professional Firefighter not a English teacher.

 

Tim

Fort Myers Beach, FL

[skarletohara]

"The lunch buffet was basically four identical stations with the same food. Try to find a fresh Deli Sandwich like Carnival offers was impossible. One day I went back to my cabin and ordered a turkey sandwich and it was processed meat"

 

 

Perhaps you should have stayed home and gone to Subway.

[spongerob]

[quote name=Twinflow But, I can tell you it was my first and last Princess Cruise.

[/quote]

 

That's too bad, Tim, that you ran into this. Some might tell you not to let a single experience ruin your perceptions forever, but I can understand the sentiment - ask me why I'll never by a Chrylser vehicle again, for example.

 

If you decide to give Princess another try, here are a few suggestions:

 

Try lunch in the dining room. The menus change every day and some of the selections beat their evening menu choices.

 

A quiet place to read - that's what makes balconies so great. In spite of the many threads to the contrary, I've never had a problem with neighbors smoking or intruding on my privacy.

 

Try a smaller ship, even within the Grand-class. You might find the atmosphere and service more to your liking. CB can give you a great cruise, but I think the ship is used as a training ground and when I was on her, came across as something like Princess-Lite, not Princess. Tastes great, less filling? You decide.

 

Although many of your comments are subjective, I find it a little disturbing that Carnival appears to do better in the overall food service arena. You aren't the only one to say that; people whose opinions I respect greatly have told me the same thing. Personally, I think CB pushes the buffet and Cafe Caribe at the expense of a real sit-down dining experience. The happiest diners off CB seem to be those who gorged themselves at Cafe Caribe. At least, that's the impression I get from some of the comments posted here.

[Host CJSKIDS]

In the past year I cruised four times. 10/04 Carnival Glory, 12/04 Carnival Glory, 05/05 Carnival Victory and 10/05 Caribbean Princess. My next trip is the new Carnival Liberty 12/10/05.

 

Yes, my posting was mostly negitive as I posted the things I disliked.

 

The crew was not rude they were just not as friendly as Carnival's. The dining room waiters were excellent! The swimming pools are great! There are four pools and two are adult only. The crew was dressed up better then on Carnival. But they did not smile and I found several arguments going on with them. I could write pages about my Cruise. But, I can tell you it was my first and last Princess Cruise.

 

Sorry about the grammer, as I spent my life as a Professional Firefighter not a English teacher.

 

Tim

Fort Myers Beach, FL

 

Tim,

 

There's no need for you to apologize to anyone. I'm sorry that your cruise didn't live up to your expectations. It's great that you tried another line besides Carnival, it's just too bad that you didn't like the experience as much. There was nothing wrong with your review, you simply stated things that you didn't like as much and that's what a review should be. Glad that there were things that you liked, hopefully the cruise was not a complete failure.

 

Happy Thanksgiving!

Carolyn

[Host CJSKIDS]

"The lunch buffet was basically four identical stations with the same food. Try to find a fresh Deli Sandwich like Carnival offers was impossible. One day I went back to my cabin and ordered a turkey sandwich and it was processed meat"

 

 

Perhaps you should have stayed home and gone to Subway.

 

This kind of comment wasn't called for. The turkey sandwich from room service is processed meat and I think it's pretty foul and won't eat it. Give the poster a break, he was simply giving his opinions of his cruise on the CB, HIS OPINION, not yours or anyone else's and he has the right to have it. If this is one thing that really bothered him about the cruise then he has the right to vent a bit on it.

[cabana]

Just to clean the record . You could get a nice bread sandwich at the afternoon buffet in the horzion .I did a couple of afternoons after a shore trip. Corned beef was my fav. But subway does make some nice sandwichs too.

[bdjam]

There was nothing wrong with your review, you simply stated things that you didn't like as much and that's what a review should be.

What I think is an issue with the review is that it was a direct comparison with Carnival. It doesn’t seem that Princess was judged on its own merit - everything was directly compared to Carnival and it’s pretty obvious the original poster prefers Carnival. Obviously Carnival is the more appropriate cruise line for the original poster – Princess is a different type of cruise line. Frankly, I have no desire to ever sail on a Carnival ship again – like the original poster, my first time was my last. For example, I didn’t like the fact that the crew on the Carnival ship was overtly “friendly” to the point where I felt uncomfortable. Everyone has their own likes and dislikes – that’s why the number of choices of cruise lines is a good thing. I also think a good deal of personal interaction on board a ship is dependent on the passenger themselves - I was not comfortable on the Carnival ship and therefore my experience wasn't as good as I felt it should be.

What is unfortunate is that if the account given by the original poster is on the mark, then Princess has lowered its standards of quality (probably due to the lower prices offered) in order to keep its mega-ships full. The smaller Princess ships seem to have a higher level of quality. The worry is that the lower standards offered on Caribbean will spill over to the rest of the fleet. That would be the real tragedy.

[imsulin2]

Thanks for the review. I hope you enjoy your next cruise on Carnival better. For the money you spend you should be happy.

 

I will stick to Princess, as we have found many things to enjoy about Princess. The more people decide not to use Princess the cheaper the rates will get :D

 

Huh?? Please explain! mtaylor, guess I didn't grasp this important fact in Economics 101!

 

bdjam - what's so terribly wrong about comparing one cruise line with another? You just did. And - what's so wrong with lower prices spilling over to the rest of the fleet that it would become a "real tragedy"? Pardon me if I missed the part about "I want to pay the highest price for my cruise". If you look at many of the posts on this Board, people are wanting to know how to get the cheapest prices. Oh, I get it! Higher prices keep the riff-raff out! Silly me.

[bdjam]

bdjam - what's so terribly wrong about comparing one cruise line with another? You just did. And - what's so wrong with lower prices spilling over to the rest of the fleet that it would become a "real tragedy"? Pardon me if I missed the part about "I want to pay the highest price for my cruise". If you look at many of the posts on this Board, people are wanting to know how to get the cheapest prices. Oh, I get it! Higher prices keep the riff-raff out! Silly me.

First, there’s nothing wrong with comparing cruise lines except in this case, the obvious favoritism toward Carnival has influenced the evaluation of Princess. I thought it important to point that out. If we look at the review as a side by side comparison, that’s fine – if we look at it as an objective review of Princess, I’m afraid it might be flawed.

 

Second, I would appreciate it if you would not read words into my posts – my reference to lower prices was based on the fact that if one charges less for a product, in order to stay financially solvent, one must also lower the quality of the offering – all things being equal. I never said anything about lower prices spilling over to the rest of the fleet – I said lower quality. I never said anything about paying the highest price for my cruise (although I will admit if I'm going to cruise, I'm not looking at the price). I never said anything about keeping out riff-raff – lower prices don’t necessarily do that. I do worry that a profit model with lower quality might spill over to the rest of the fleet.

 

Third – a question for you – do you feel a need to inflame a debate based what you believe is in my post but in fact is not or am I misinterpreting your intent? This isn't the first time... :rolleyes: