princess cruise

[richardAnn]

its been a while since me and my wife have been on a cruise booked on the ruby princess in april of 2023 have a mini suite. not sure what to expect on princess have always gone on carnival. we are both seniors can any one give us a heads up on what to expect

[wowzz]

17 minutes ago, richardAnn said:

its been a while since me and my wife have been on a cruise booked on the ruby princess in april of 2023 have a mini suite. not sure what to expect on princess have always gone on carnival. we are both seniors can any one give us a heads up on what to expect

Thats an enormously open question.  Are you asking about the food, the cabin, the entertainment etc etc ?

Perhaps you could narrow your question down a little, and then post on the Princess forum.   

[ldubs]

I've been on eleven Princess cruises and four or five Carnival ones.   I would say Carnival is much more lively in just about every aspect.  Atmosphere is much more casual (formal wear is not common). There is definitely a different vibe.   The crowd is younger and party harder on Carnival, though I've only been on their Mexican Riviera cruises compared to most of our Princess experience being longer cruises in other parts of the world.    So, that could change with other itineraries, IDK.  

 

Food?  Pre-pandemic I would say similar but Princess gets the win.  Entertainment?  The shows put on by the cruise line's performers are about the same (meh).  Princess does (did) seem to have more guest entertainers and decent lounge musicians.  Carnival has the adult comedy club which can be really good (or bad depending on the comedian).  

 

Cabins are pretty much the same, but I've not stayed in suites on either line.  I generally prefer the Princess ship ambiance.  The Crown Class ships, which includes Ruby, is among my favorites.  

 

Overall, me personally all things considered,  I would prefer Princess over Carnival.  It is just a better fit for us

 

Bottom line on what to expect?   Expect to have fun!  Enjoy.  

[jsn55]

I always do a 'generic search' and read everything that comes up about a cruise I'm interested in.  Reading the ship reviews here at CC should be very helpful in obtaining the 'big picture'.  Please come back on the Princess forum with specific questions.

[pris993]

I have not been on Carnival, so can't compare.  I was on the Ruby Princess in a mini suite in February.   The Ruby is my favorite ship.  Princess mini suits are larger, with two sections, a sleeping and sitting area.  Bathroom has tub with shower.  The mini suite is my favorite cabin category.  Lots of space and a nice balcony.   

 

The newest thing on Princess is the Medallion process which is an electronic key instead of a card key for your state room and plus Medallion is used to pay for drinks and other purchases.    Cole Thorton gave you a link to information on the Medallion. 

 

You will need to download the Medallion to your iphone or other compatible device and enter personal information, passport and other pre cruise information required.  From the app you order your Medallion and request it be sent to you a couple of weeks prior to the cruise.    Medallion is used at check-in.     

 

We are seniors as well.  Princess has a good mix of passengers all ages.  We have been cruising Princess for years, think the cruise line is a good fit.   

[cr8tiv1]

3 hours ago, pris993 said:

I have not been on Carnival, so can't compare.  I was on the Ruby Princess in a mini suite in February.   The Ruby is my favorite ship.  Princess mini suits are larger, with two sections, a sleeping and sitting area.  Bathroom has tub with shower.  The mini suite is my favorite cabin category.  Lots of space and a nice balcony.   

 

Very good description of a mini-suite.  It is a larger balcony style stateroom.  You walk in, bathroom on left/right, bed, sitting area.  There really isn't two "separate" sections, just one that has been extended to include a sofa, coffee table, and additional television.  (No wall or curtain to separate the two sections.  TV remote will change both televisions channels.)

 

Princess (and Holland America) include the word "suite" but it is not classified as a full suite with suite perks.  Unless you booked a club class mini-suite, you will enjoy your dinner in the Main Dining Room.  

[caribill]

20 minutes ago, cr8tiv1 said:

 

Very good description of a mini-suite.  It is a larger balcony style stateroom.  You walk in, bathroom on left/right, bed, sitting area.  There really isn't two "separate" sections, just one that has been extended to include a sofa, coffee table, and additional television.  (No wall or curtain to separate the two sections.  TV remote will change both televisions channels.)

 

 

The mini-suite on the Ruby has a partial wall separation between the areas. The Royal class is supposed to have a curtain.

 

Crown class:

 

Royal Class:

 

[cr8tiv1]

@caribill  Passenger will be on the Ruby.  I've tried to "do it yourself" curtain to separate bed/sofa area.  I failed.  In my opinion, my objection is that Princess tries to market a mini-suite to be more than it really is (an larger balcony cabin).

[wowzz]

2 hours ago, cr8tiv1 said:

There really isn't two "separate" sections, just one that has been extended to include a sofa, coffee table, and additional television.  (No wall or curtain to separate the two sections.  

There is a curtain to divide the seating area from the "bedroom" on Regal Princess.

[cr8tiv1]

19 hours ago, richardAnn said:

its been a while since me and my wife have been on a cruise booked on the ruby princess in april of 2023 have a mini suite. not sure what to expect on princess have always gone on carnival. we are both seniors can any one give us a heads up on what to expect

 

I re-read the post and I will correct my statements.  The teacher in me has a hard time with syntax.  I should pay more attention to the OP's inquiry.  Instead, I get caught up in the sentence structure (no caps, no punctuation marks,  etc).  

 

Again, my comments reflect my emphasis on a Princess Mini-Suite being more like a large balcony cabin than a full suite, regardless of class of ship.  OP does not delineate if he is booked in a mini-suite or a club class mini-suite.  I think OP said that they "HAVE" a mini-suite booked on the Ruby Princess NEXT April 2023.

 

I agree with @wowzz that members would be able to assist more if the OP would return with specific concerns.  Are they interested in cabin categories, onboard activities, or something else.   

 

@ldubs Your comments were much more helpful than mine.

 

[skynight]

On 6/26/2022 at 8:58 AM, richardAnn said:

its been a while since me and my wife have been on a cruise booked on the ruby princess in april of 2023 have a mini suite. not sure what to expect on princess have always gone on carnival. we are both seniors can any one give us a heads up on what to expect

If you booked an M1 category mini you are in Club Class with special dining. Oher category minis do have regular dining.

[bagney]

We are also booked on the Ruby in August 2023 - August 2-9 (and have been on the Ruby on two other cruises over the years). One other thing about a mini-suite I don''t think has been mentioned is that in the bathroom there is a tub/shower combo and you have to climb into the tub to shower/bathe - not sure if you have any mobility issues but this may be a factor. Also, on the Ruby I believe all of the mini-suites on Deck 9 (Dolphin) are fully uncovered/fully exposed to sun/other cabins above. The Minisuites on the aft section of Deck 8 (Emerald) are fully covered and protected much better from the elements. 

[jsn55]

9 hours ago, cr8tiv1 said:

@caribill  Passenger will be on the Ruby.  I've tried to "do it yourself" curtain to separate bed/sofa area.  I failed.  In my opinion, my objection is that Princess tries to market a mini-suite to be more than it really is (an larger balcony cabin).

So true!  I remember when this 'suite baloney' started with hotels years ago.  A suite is TWO rooms at minimum.  I guess they think that adding 'mini' to it will alert frequent travellers, but most pax will think they're getting an actual suite.  Not a chance. It's just a cabin with more square footage. Fortunately with the internet, we can see photos and diagrams and everything else so we know exactly what we're booking.  I have never known what the 'curtain' is supposed to accomplish.  If the DH husband is watching TV in the sitting area, a curtain helps not a jot for keeping the sound down.  A wall with a door, now, that's what is effective.  But most people are too smart to waste money on a full suite, so we just bring earplugs and/or sound machines. 

 

cr8tiv1, I thought I was the only one who gets completely distracted by punctuation and grammar!  I always wonder why on earth people don't proof their posts ... but they don't and I try hard to get the gist of instead of being annoyed. 

Edited June 27, 2022 by jsn55
add thought

[pris993]

What a mini suite is really depends on the ship and ship category.  While this is off top, thought I'd share.  I booked a mini suite on the Dawn Princess some years ago, actually had two rooms, plus an extra large bathroom with separate soaking tub.   When I cruised on Cunard ships a few years back I was surprised what we know as a mini suite on Princess is the lowest level suite on Cunard.  A picture is worth a 1000 word!  We all must do our homework.

[Rick&Jeannie]

Note that the OP is very new to CC.  Quite possible that he did not "follow" the thread to receive updates when others have posted.  We have not heard back...