What do you like most about Crusing with Princess

[wrongwaywatson]

My husband I both think that the best part is right after we walk across the plankway, walking into the beautiful piazza and knowing that we have 7 (or 10 or 15) days of bliss and relaxation ahead!

[AF-1]

Wow these are really good comments about Princess. My wife and I have sailed once with Princess.  July of 2017 to Alaska.  We were treated so well by the crew; the food was awesome, and the ship(Emerald) was beautiful. Because of our outstanding experience in 2017 we booked another cruise(Caribbean Princess) for 16 Feb 2019; oh wait;  that is like this coming Saturday.  I better start packing.  Cheers

Edited February 10, 2019 by AF-1
added txt

[AF-1]

Wow these are really good comments about Princess. My wife and I have sailed once with Princess.  July of 2017 to Alaska.  We were treated so well by the crew; the food was awesome, and the ship(Emerald) was beautiful. Because of our outstanding experience in 2017 we booked another cruise (Caribbean Princess) for 16 Feb 2019; oh wait;  that is like this coming Saturday.  I better start packing.  Cheers

Edited February 10, 2019 by AF-1
added txt

[1emerald1]

When I first see the ship I yell out like some stupid kid, "There's the ship!", usually startles anyone else in the car!  Stepping from the plankway onto the ship into the atrium is another thrill.  Watching the ropes drop then edge from the dock is another favorite, let's me know the cruise has begun.  I like getting unpacked ASAP, reinforces that the cabin is my home for however many days.  Looking out at the ocean on sea days watching the world go by.  Really makes me miss the promenade decks with the teak loungers.

[c-boy]

14 hours ago, ErLee said:

Thanks for starting this thread! We’ll be on our first Princess cruise in June - we’re sailing on the Coral to Alaska and then doing a land tour - and it’s so disheartening to read all the negativity on these boards sometimes.  It’s a refreshing change to hear what everyone loves about Princess! Cruising is my happy place, and I’m looking forward to loving our first Princess trip! I’ve even already booked our 2nd with Princess on the Sky in January 2020 😊

ya notice those nanny naggers haven't posted on here yet .... maybe.

[southerngoose]

the one thing I'm excited about is the sanctuary.   I like the idea of the serenity stewards.    I think I would enjoy it, if I wasn't going to Alaska...but I am thinking that the first and last day as we're closer to LA, it might be temperate and I can hang out and read/knit etc.  🙂   I like the idea of the movie under the stars, but again, weather and the late hour of the day would be a huge problem for me and I'll probably enjoy the movie on the tv.

[WAMarathoner]

Excellent service from people who seem to truly understand the concept is a big plus.

 

For us, though, what sets Princess apart is the OTHER PASSENGERS. In our experience, it's mostly people who are settled and comfortable with who they are, respectful of others, and who have enough life experience to be fascinating.  Most of the people we have met could write bestsellers about their interesting lives!

Edited February 10, 2019 by WAMarathoner
typo

[Dani24]

I'll preface this by saying that we haven't been on Princess since 2010. But we did a Disney cruise two years ago, and we found ourselves constantly comparing it to Princess. Here are some of the things we really missed about Princess while on DCL.

 

• The service! We have always felt pampered and cared for on Princess. Whether we've been in an obstructed oceanview or a balcony, we've felt treated like royalty (and this time we're sailing in a suite and I can't wait!). The crew has always been friendly, eager to please, and has gone out of their way to help us with small special requests. On Disney we often felt like they just wanted to do their thing, and no more. 
• The food -- I know this one is controversial, and I've seen many people say the quality has gone downhill. But we felt most of the food on Disney was mediocre at best. Conversely, we have had many stellar dishes on Princess in the past. 
• Chef's Table -- We've done this twice and it's such an amazing experience
• Afternoon tea -- Love this! Sadly, on Disney, there was no afternoon tea unless you paid a King's ransom for the Royal Court princess tea (which we did, for our daughter -- and the food/tea and service were pitiful compared to Princess)
• Ballroom dancing lessons. DH and I have learned to do the Waltz, the Tango and Salsa on previous sailings. We even used the lessons to help us with our first dance at our wedding. 
• The wrap-around Promenade deck. DH and I love walking along that, or just relaxing on it. 
• The puzzles/game sheets in the library. We always make a competition out of it to see who can finish theirs first that day!
• Bingo - The sessions on Princess were so much more lively and engaging. The DCL ones felt boring om comparison.
• The room service menu. This was a joke on DCL. We really missed not only the variety on Princess, but also the expanded hours.
• The general atmosphere of Princess. We love that it feels relaxed, yet polished and elegant. And while we are not partiers, or in need of boisterous entertainment, we love that there's a variety of entertainment on board, and we've never been bored on a Princess ship.
• Anytime dining. There wasn't this option on Disney. We love the flexibility of dining on our own schedule, but enjoying the full MDR experience. 

[Ken the cruiser]

What a great thread with some super positive comments. We're coming back to Princess after trying some other lines these past few years and are looking forward to having a lot of fun! One of the best perks that has drawn us back to Princess is their longer unique itineraries that include plenty of sea days to enjoy all that Princess has to offer.

[getting older slowly]

2 minutes ago, Ken the cruiser said:

One of the best perks that has drawn us back to Princess is their longer unique itineraries that include plenty of sea days to enjoy all that Princess has to offer. 

 

Interesting point Ken... some love sea days and others hate them.... We love sea days.. total relaxation....

 

It is all the big decisions of sea days..

 

What to have for Breakfast ?

Lunch in MDR    what to order    which Wine ?

then Canapés which one to have ?

Dinner MDR or Crown Grill.... again which Wine ??

and after all that a show or music or a stroll then bed

 

Sea days are a hard life .

[Ken the cruiser]

7 minutes ago, getting older slowly said:

 

Interesting point Ken... some love sea days and others hate them.... We love sea days.. total relaxation....

 

It is all the big decisions of sea days..

 

What to have for Breakfast ?

Lunch in MDR    what to order    which Wine ?

then Canapés which one to have ?

Dinner MDR or Crown Grill.... again which Wine ??

and after all that a show or music or a stroll then bed

 

Sea days are a hard life .

Exactly! 

[Dani24]

15 hours ago, getting older slowly said:

 

Interesting point Ken... some love sea days and others hate them.... We love sea days.. total relaxation....

 

It is all the big decisions of sea days..

 

What to have for Breakfast ?

Lunch in MDR    what to order    which Wine ?

then Canapés which one to have ?

Dinner MDR or Crown Grill.... again which Wine ??

and after all that a show or music or a stroll then bed

 

Sea days are a hard life .

 

Yes! While I love exploring the ports, I also love having enough sea days to really enjoy the ship. It allows me time to sample all of the dining venues -- breakfast and lunch in the MDR, lunch at the poolside grill, room service snacks, specialty dining, chef's table, afternoon tea, breakfast and lunch in the buffet, International Cafe, etc. Plus all of the onboard entertainment, and opportunities for relaxing on the ship with a good book or whatever. I love port days too, and exploring everything off the ship. But the ship is just as much a destination as the ports. And if there aren't enough sea days it's hard to really enjoy it.

[Coffeeluvr05]

In general, I find Princess to be more laid back and has a less crowded feel than I've previously experienced.  Princess made me like cruising again.  Overall, the staff are always ready to serve.  On RCCL I don't recall being waited on almost everywhere on the ship.  Princess does this well.  It really makes you feel like you are truly on vacation!

[rjgdjg]

I'm also a huge Princess fan. We've sailed on RCI, Celebrity and HAL, and Princess, to me, still reigns supreme. For these (and other reasons):

* Relaxing! As others have said, the overall mood is much slower and tranquil compared to the zip-line, go-kart lines. I think of Princess as classic cruising.

* Gracious! The ships are so handsomely done up in woods and marble.

* Friendly! I love being served beverages in the buffet.

* The buffet! On the Royal and Regal, the buffets have some premium foods you don't find on mass market ships--varied array of cheeses (I'm not talking cheddar and American here), smoked fish, German sausages...and huge choice.

* Norman Love desserts! Yum.

* Mini-suites! If you time it right, you can get one for a fraction more than a balcony room.

 

What I don't love about a Princess cruise? When it's over. - Musing About Cruising

[USCcruisecrazy]

Love the fact we can get on board and then do nothing or everything imaginable or something in between...it's a stress free vacation where we are allowed to just relax and enjoy our surroundings, each other, the food, the beverages, and the company!!  What is there not to like on a Princess Cruise?  Just one thing...we can't take them often enough!!

[freddybeachpete]

So many things - the Military OBC, Crowne Grill, MUTS, ballroom dancing with DW, the Intl Cafe, wonderful staff, consistently good food, etc., etc.

[jondfk]

I limited my favorite likes to 3:

Sanctuary.

Crooners.

Window Suites (they are awful, tell everybody, haha).

 

Never had a bad Princess cruise.  Some better than others, but none bad.

[JC13]

I enjoy my 45 minute drive to the port, parking, then boarding what I already know.  No airport hassles, no mess, no fuss.  Then upon return, taking my wheelie out to the parking lot and driving home with wonderful Princess memories.  

[greenie082756]

On ‎2‎/‎8‎/‎2019 at 9:00 PM, getting older slowly said:

I feel we need positive thread......

ie the Glass is half full not half empty

a little humour... LOL etc  

 

So what you like most, or enjoy about Cruising........ on a princess ship ( or row boat )

 

 

Cheers Don

 

Yes we do need a positive thread! How the heck can you not be thrilled to cruise? You do not have to cook, clean, make the bed. You have absolutely beautiful sunrises and sunsets. You can just relax and enjoy the shows, food and other passengers if you so choose. 

So what I like most? Everything! It was one of the best decisions we ever made to start cruising for our vacations. As Princess likes to say, I come back new!

[ckb104]

My favorite things:  

I love that there is a big bowl of cut-up fruit at the breakfast buffet

Great service by fun crew members

Trivia and game shows

Skywalkers is such a great place to sit and watch the water or read.  During the day, it's so quiet

Fruit tartlets at the International Café.  I ate so many fruit tartlets.   

Crown Grille for a special dinner

My "cruise buddy" (Mom) is Elite, so we get to board first.  I highly recommend cruising with an Elite person.  😃  

[OCruisers]

There have always been MANY things we've liked about Princess.

Club Class Dining is a wonderful new addition which makes Princess cruises even more enjoyable for us.  

[getting older slowly]

I must agreed

 

Everything....

 

Please don't tell everybody about Skywalkers during the day.... it might become crowded LOL

 

Club Class dinning and Sea day lunches is a nice peak

 

Only 8 eight till next cruise

 

And after a cruise... just want to do another one..... it is a hard life

 

Cheers Don

[tonit964]

My last cruise was on NCL Bliss and my brother and I were commenting that we both missed the live music in the Piazza on Princess. There was just a weird vibe on that ship and we were really missing Princess.

 

My next three are all on Princess and I can't wait to board the Emerald in 9 days.

I really like when I'm walking down the hall to go to my cabin the first day and they're playing music in the hallway and there is that "ship" smell. I love it.

I also love walking into the dining room on Italian night, it smells soooo good!

As others have said, it feels like home.