Rare dronnygirl Posted June 17 #1 Share Posted June 17 Comparison between Marella and Princess cruises – sorry it’s long… We have done many cruises with Marella, however we booked a cruise with Marella to the Baltic in 2020 from Newcastle which was cancelled due to Covid. Unfortunately Marella no longer cruise from the UK and, as we still wanted to visit the Baltic, we had to look to another cruise company. We chose Sky Princess and found a 2 week cruise for around the same price we'd paid for Ex2 last September. It's difficult to make exact comparisons as Marella have flight costs and Princess had 4 sea days compared to Marella usually only have 2 (we prefer port intensive cruises). The price we paid Princess included a Plus package which had 15 drinks per day, gratuities, Wifi and other things that we didn’t bother with all in line with the AI from Marella. We had a 4 hour drive to Southampton for the ship (as opposed to 1 hour drive to airport), we went the day before and stayed in a hotel where we could park the car for 15 days and included breakfast and taxis in the package. Really loved this, we could have a lie in then breakfast and the taxi picked us up at 10am. We were dropped at QE2 terminal and were on the ship by 11am – unbelievably quick! No 6am flights this time! The ship was lovely, built in 2019 so everything was in good order. Our cabin, deluxe balcony, was the same size as the equivalent on Ex2 but there were no wardrobes, instead we had a little dressing room with hangers and a very tiny shower room but it worked well. There was a fridge which kept our drinks very cold. The cabin was immaculately clean and we had evening turn down but no chocolates on the pillow! However the last evening we had a small box with choccies and a note thanking us for sailing with Princess. The steward, and all staff, were very polite and friendly. You need to have a Princess app on your phone which we weren’t keen on at first but it turned out to be really good. When we checked in we were given a medallion to wear and as you approach your cabin there is a small screen on the wall (bit like an ipad) and it recognises the signal and your cabin door opens automatically. When you go out you touch the screen and this tells the steward that you are out so he can clean, you can also touch the ‘ do not disturb’ sign. The ship had 3,500 passengers and around 1,300 crew and was bigger than Ex2 which was a bit daunting but it worked out okay. Very rarely had to queue for a lift, everything was laid out over deck 6 & 7 so was quite easy to find. There were 3 main dining rooms but they all had the same menu so we used the same one most of the time for convenience. You can pre-book tables but we just turned up and asked for a shared table and it was fine. We enjoyed sharing the tables as the ship was about 50% Brits, maybe 30% American and 10% Australian. The rest were Canadian, NZ and others so we had some very entertaining conversations. On this trip the vast majority of guests were 60s and 70s so a little older than Marella although this might have been to do with the itinerary. The food was very good (much better than Marella and P&O) but some things on the menu were a little strange as there were so many different tastes. There was always prawn cocktail, salad, steak and chicken available on the menu as alternatives. We also noticed some of the Americans ordered more than 1 starter if they wanted. We never used the speciality restaurants as we really didn’t feel the need although others said they were very good. The Marketplace was very big to cater for so many people but divided into sections so it didn’t feel too big. We often shared a table but never had difficulty in finding somewhere. The food was very good and varied and there were waiters to bring drinks if you didn’t want to get your own. There was a large theatre with very good entertainment, the resident show team were excellent and would work on any London stage but they only did 3 shows in 2 weeks (very different to Marella). The other nights were singers, comedians and a ventriloquist mostly from Britains Got Talent. We also had Nina Wadia as guest speaker, she was very interesting. There was another lounge used for comedians, lectures and music in the evening. The Live Lounge was the equivalent of Squid and Anchor and there were quiet bars with piano etc and the atrium where there was music and entertainment every day. There were waiters serving in the bars but sometimes there was a wait, however we just went to the bar and picked up drinks without having the large queues that there sometimes are in the Squid. Trips were extremely expensive, at least double what Marella charge and often 3 times the price. If they provided a shuttle bus it was $18 return which was sometimes only 15 minutes walk. The ports we visited were very walkable and we only paid small amounts for local buses, trams or boat trips which we loved doing. Would we cruise on Princess again? Absolutely, we really loved it. Would we cruise with Marella again? Of course, we’ve had many great cruises and look forward to many more. 7 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare Jim The Scot Posted June 17 #2 Share Posted June 17 Excellent read D Although we have no intention at the mo to try another cruise line interesting none the less Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Izzywiz Posted June 17 #3 Share Posted June 17 Thank you for your comparison. As regular cruisers with Marella and Princess as well as many other cruise lines, I thought it a very fair and comprehensive assessment of your experience. I absolutely agree with your comments and, like you, I am happy to cruise with either company. I find the major differences with Princess to be the very pricy shore excursions, daily gratuity charge ( we always pay these but would prefer them to be included in the overall price of the cruise) and the scarcity of production shows. I do, however, like the loyalty programme (the perks become of more value as you progress through the levels), the better quality food and the laundrettes….I know, I know….we are on holiday but I do like clean and ironed clothes so it isn’t a chore for me! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
paulatsea Posted June 18 #4 Share Posted June 18 We went on sky princess for our first princess cruise - Scandinavian sampler - earlier this year - 5 nights from Southampton. I loved the ship and the plus package - everything included - drinks including special coffees / tips / room service / WiFi / 2 x dining at any of the casual dining venues which are normally extra cost - so no bill at the end. Very good App and medallion technology. Great service. Good food. Cabin was excellent and very well noise insulated. Boarding was very fast - no waiting - straight onboard by 11:30 am ! Very clean and well run and the price was good I thought considering what was included with our plus package and the standard of the ship. Argree re excursion costs - at least double that which we normally pay - so we did our own thing. We have used Marella explorer 2 ship several times - but I always get some illness either onboard or from the flight - or the transfer bus. There always seem to be lots people coughing which I didn’t find on princess. The service and staff on Marella has always been excellent but we found explorer 2 a bit shabby - I don’t know if the dry dock has improved things. Good value for money I think with all inclusive - and very well run excursions at a good price. We have booked another sky princess for October. I would go on Marella again but not on explorer 2 - the transatlantic adults only ones on voyager and discovery sound good and I am waiting for the 2016 release. Overall I would say princess is a higher standard. Interesting thread - thanks for starting it dronnygirl. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare insidecabin Posted June 19 #5 Share Posted June 19 Thanks for your Sky thoughts we are on in Oct. When looking beyond the limited offering from Marella many look at P&O we find Princess a much better choice along with NCL. Princess Plus makes the product AI at £50pppd on top of regular fare making price comparison simple. Often good deals on flights as well, From the UK good choice of itinerary and ships. 2022 Princess were understaffed this seems to be sorted for 2024. Our round Britain on Regal was very good at prices Marella can't get close. Love the convenience of avoiding airports and being on the ships before 11am when boarding Southampton. We will fly for some cruises. Regal had 4 production shows on a 12n. Probably the same on their longer trips. With Princess the 15(30 per couple) alcoholic drinks limit might be a problem for some if both big drinkers I can hit 15 on a sea day but there are spare on the wife count. Not been back to Marella since 2021 no longer competitive. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
paulatsea Posted June 19 #6 Share Posted June 19 1 hour ago, insidecabin said: Thanks for your Sky thoughts we are on in Oct. When looking beyond the limited offering from Marella many look at P&O we find Princess a much better choice along with NCL. Princess Plus makes the product AI at £50pppd on top of regular fare making price comparison simple. Often good deals on flights as well, From the UK good choice of itinerary and ships. 2022 Princess were understaffed this seems to be sorted for 2024. Our round Britain on Regal was very good at prices Marella can't get close. Love the convenience of avoiding airports and being on the ships before 11am when boarding Southampton. We will fly for some cruises. Regal had 4 production shows on a 12n. Probably the same on their longer trips. With Princess the 15(30 per couple) alcoholic drinks limit might be a problem for some if both big drinkers I can hit 15 on a sea day but there are spare on the wife count. Not been back to Marella since 2021 no longer competitive. Did you do any excursions ? Prices seem crazy to me - that’s my only criticism of princess. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare dronnygirl Posted June 19 Author #7 Share Posted June 19 We didn't do any excursions as the ports were so easy to DIY. Princess charged $15 per person for a return shuttle in Copenhagen , there was a local bus that did the same run and charged 50 Krone (approx £5.50) for 2 people return. No comparison... 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare insidecabin Posted June 19 #8 Share Posted June 19 7 hours ago, paulatsea said: Did you do any excursions ? Prices seem crazy to me - that’s my only criticism of princess. Rare we do any ship excursions. If there is something we want to do we will find someone local or see how practical DIY is using public transport(Google is brilliant) We don't try to pack too much in, most cruises we will be back. Eg. Today in Tromsø princess shuttle $20 local bus every 15mins $2 or $4 peak times($equivilant) A taxi each way was $20 if a group and want convenience. all day bus ticket to get to other places around town $12. Round Britain is easy to DIY tours. In Feb school holiday date(July/aug) was available for the round Britain at £749pp, add £600(or offer) for Plus £1350pp for an all inclusive 12n cruise. With Princess(and NCL) make sure you are signed up for marketing on your account, they both do offers to individual through the loyalty. Princess sometimes 50%, NCL does 10% sometimes more. Marella is an easy one stop you pay for that convenience. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
paulatsea Posted June 19 #9 Share Posted June 19 (edited) We have always done excursions with P&O and Marella and Fred Olsen - especially if it’s somewhere new to us - as they are usually very good and a reasonable price - as well as doing our own thing if we feel like it. We found Marella was the best for excursions in terms of organisation and quality. I’m just curious as to why princess charge so much and whether anyone has done any with them. Edited June 19 by paulatsea Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare insidecabin Posted June 19 #10 Share Posted June 19 16 minutes ago, paulatsea said: We have always done excursions with P&O and Marella and Fred Olsen - especially if it’s somewhere new to us - as they are usually very good and a reasonable price - as well as doing our own thing if we feel like it. I’m just curious as to why princess charge so much and whether anyone has done any with them. Loads of Americans seem to do them. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare 2BACRUISER Posted July 1 #11 Share Posted July 1 On 6/19/2024 at 9:08 AM, insidecabin said: Not been back to Marella since 2021 no longer competitive. Hmm interesting comment i just priced the Canary Islands 7nts on Ex2 for November this year against P&O Azura as follows EX2 flights from Luton std AI £2043 Azura flights east Midlands no drinks £2018 with £120 OBC so for us Marella would work out cheaper. 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare insidecabin Posted July 1 #12 Share Posted July 1 7 hours ago, 2BACRUISER said: Hmm interesting comment i just priced the Canary Islands 7nts on Ex2 for November this year against P&O Azura as follows EX2 flights from Luton std AI £2043 Azura flights east Midlands no drinks £2018 with £120 OBC so for us Marella would work out cheaper. Our Princess Oct Canaries 12n balcony from Southampton is that money £1kpp, AI from Southampton. £1k for a week just don't bother with those. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andy24v Posted July 1 #13 Share Posted July 1 7 hours ago, 2BACRUISER said: Hmm interesting comment i just priced the Canary Islands 7nts on Ex2 for November this year against P&O Azura as follows EX2 flights from Luton std AI £2043 Azura flights east Midlands no drinks £2018 with £120 OBC so for us Marella would work out cheaper. I looked at the Azura Canaries cruise. They have an overnight in Tenerife, and 2 sea days, so they only visit 3 ports. Marella do 5 ports in the same time. Also, Marella give you your flight details when you book, do you can organise parking/hotels etc. P&O give you the details "before your holiday" 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andy24v Posted July 1 #14 Share Posted July 1 1 minute ago, insidecabin said: Our Princess Oct Canaries 12n balcony from Southampton is that money £1kpp, AI from Southampton. £1k for a week just don't bother with those. We've done Southampton before. It just doesn't work for us. An extra days annual leave and cattery fees to travel down the day before, and another 4 wasted days getting to and from somewhere warm. Maybe when we've retired.. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare Jim The Scot Posted July 1 #15 Share Posted July 1 I,m retired andy and I wouldn,t entertain that 😅 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andy24v Posted July 1 #16 Share Posted July 1 (edited) 1 hour ago, insidecabin said: Our Princess Oct Canaries 12n balcony from Southampton is that money £1kpp, AI from Southampton. £1k for a week just don't bother with those. I'd also add that, whilst you got a fantastic bargain at £1k pp for that cruise, 2BACRUISER is talking about the price for booking a cruise now. A quick check of the Princess website shows the 12 night Canaries cruise (illustrated with a picture of Santorini?!) is on sale for £2379 per person for a balcony cabin with the Princess plus package. This is £4798 total, add another £250 for fuel/hotel/parking and we're at over £5k for a cruise with 6 port stops. On that basis, it makes the 7 night Marella cruise a bargain. Edited July 1 by Andy24v Forgot to add balcony 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare insidecabin Posted July 3 #17 Share Posted July 3 On 7/1/2024 at 12:41 PM, 2BACRUISER said: Hmm interesting comment i just priced the Canary Islands 7nts on Ex2 for November this year against P&O Azura as follows EX2 flights from Luton std AI £2043 Azura flights east Midlands no drinks £2018 with £120 OBC so for us Marella would work out cheaper. Looking at one Nov Azura the EM flights have £180pp suppliment Base cruise with flights starts under £600pp Can get under £2k total with drinks package On P&O many just PAYG as reasonable prices. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare 2BACRUISER Posted July 4 #18 Share Posted July 4 23 hours ago, insidecabin said: Looking at one Nov Azura the EM flights have £180pp suppliment Base cruise with flights starts under £600pp Can get under £2k total with drinks package On P&O many just PAYG as reasonable prices. BUT that's an inside cabin from a London airport, I live in the North so diesel and onite stay prior wipes out EM supplement. My prices were for OV both cruises. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Please sign in to comment
You will be able to leave a comment after signing in
Sign In Now