My View: Will we be Enchanted by Princess? (Live Views from a Princess Newbie)

[TravelGirlinDallas]

One thing I loved about our first Princess cruise in 2023 was the fresh flower arrangements in most of the public venues. I didn't see as many flowers in your pictures, and I wondered if they have stopped doing that? It would be a real shame if they did.

[APDMOM]

1 hour ago, TravelGirlinDallas said:

One thing I loved about our first Princess cruise in 2023 was the fresh flower arrangements in most of the public venues. I didn't see as many flowers in your pictures, and I wondered if they have stopped doing that? It would be a real shame if they did.

We only saw fresh flower arrangements on the wagon - they were celebration bouquets for sale. 🙂

[JimmyVWine]

Thank you so much for the thorough, thoughtful and balanced trip report.  If I may offer one Tip in return:

If you sail on Princess again, don't fret over the Formal Night dress code and enjoy dinners in the MDR.  You said that your family doesn't want to abuse the guidelines, and that is admirable.  But especially on a Caribbean cruise, long slacks and colored shirts for DH and DS will put them in the middle 30% of attendees.  While you say that you are not "foodies", it is clear from your review that you care enough about food to make it a valued part of your cruise, and you certainly have a sharp palate.  Princess really does "up its game" on Formal Nights and two excellent dinners in the MDR on top of what you otherwise experienced might actually have you re-thinking your rankings, even if by just a bit.   

 

Again, many thanks for taking the time to post all of this.

[perfect match]

Thank you for doing this review @APDMOM! I’m glad I found this review and had a chance to cruise along with you and your family again.

 

You reminded me of all of the things we enjoyed about Princess enough so we’re thinking about booking with them again after a somewhat lengthy absence. We do have two cruises already booked with another line, but with Princess starting to sail out of Port Canaveral it could happen!

[KKB]

@APDMOM Thanks for this great review!

We have sailed Princess more than any line...it's our #2 below Celebrity, but NCL, RCCL, & Carnival are close behind.

It is true--Princess shines at game shows, trivia & ship activities, while shows tend to be "meh"--tho you had the 2 best shows they offer, imo! But compared to NCL & RCCL (and Celebrity Eclass), they are a notch below. But with NCL's cutting of their Broadway shows, this comparison could certainly change.

Agree about "formal night" from @JimmyVWine--you were dressed just fine!

I can see a DLX balcony being quite cozy for 3 adults (essentially)...mini-suite would be a better size.

Good tip on Mahogany Bay to go to the far beach. Did that beach have the 3 feet drop off into the ocean? Fun climbing back out of that!!

Oh, and the security at Costa Maya? We saw it on our 1st cruise ever in 2004...and each of the many times since. Guess you got lucky & missed it before!

 

[KKB]

@APDMOM I know you are on the Breakaway...and internet is a different animal on NCL if you don't upgrade to unlimited.

Will you be posting a review when you get back? 

You have me hooked now!!

[Canuker]

To APDMOM or anyone else who has been on board very recently:

The "Take 5 Lounge", on deck 6 forward: is it still a lounge or has it been swallowed up by the casino? How is the air quality in there now?

 

 

[APDMOM]

On 7/28/2024 at 11:36 AM, KKB said:

@APDMOM Thanks for this great review!

We have sailed Princess more than any line...it's our #2 below Celebrity, but NCL, RCCL, & Carnival are close behind.

It is true--Princess shines at game shows, trivia & ship activities, while shows tend to be "meh"--tho you had the 2 best shows they offer, imo! But compared to NCL & RCCL (and Celebrity Eclass), they are a notch below. But with NCL's cutting of their Broadway shows, this comparison could certainly change.

Agree about "formal night" from @JimmyVWine--you were dressed just fine!

I can see a DLX balcony being quite cozy for 3 adults (essentially)...mini-suite would be a better size.

Good tip on Mahogany Bay to go to the far beach. Did that beach have the 3 feet drop off into the ocean? Fun climbing back out of that!!

Oh, and the security at Costa Maya? We saw it on our 1st cruise ever in 2004...and each of the many times since. Guess you got lucky & missed it before!

 

Thanks for the input, @KKB!  Re Mahogany Bay - I did not notice a drop - it is a little bit steep, but not too bad. 

LOL!  We must have missed that security in Costa Maya, as we have been there many times too.  We stay on the ship very often in that port, so it is clear why we missed it before. 😄 

[APDMOM]

On 7/28/2024 at 12:12 PM, KKB said:

@APDMOM I know you are on the Breakaway...and internet is a different animal on NCL if you don't upgrade to unlimited.

Will you be posting a review when you get back? 

You have me hooked now!!

I will be working on an abbreviated ‘My View” review for the Breakaway.  I actually had 300 minutes internet, but decided to just relax and not do a ‘live’ review, as I did one on Escape, which is similar.  We wound down so much that I ended up donating about 200 of our minutes to NCL 😄

 

[APDMOM]

4 hours ago, Canuker said:

To APDMOM or anyone else who has been on board very recently:

The "Take 5 Lounge", on deck 6 forward: is it still a lounge or has it been swallowed up by the casino? How is the air quality in there now?

 

 

I am sorry I don’t know the answer to this.  I did not even realize there might be a lounge, as we just assumed it is all Casino - which we avoid due to the smoke.  🙂

 

[APDMOM]

Summary of why Princess did not take the number 1 spot:

 

I want to reiterate what I said last week in my summary - we have only been on one Princess ship and I cannot really judge the whole cruise line based upon just the one experience, so the placement may change over time.  🙂

 

Why we love NCL:

• Good loyalty program and benefits.
• Great food - we had some of the BEST food at sea last week while on Breakaway.  I am actually glad the cruise was just after Princess, because we could make a close comparison without the interference of time, which can make one forgetful.
• The upper level management stands out as caring about both passengers and crew.  We had SO many interactions with NCL officers last week, and the assistant general manager even made sure I got a lounger on the balcony.  
• We like the more relaxed vibe on NCL - there is no ‘dress up’ rule.  Shorts are always fine in all the free restaurants.  Only 2 paid venues require a bit more of a dress up.  (I realize that I care more than the average person to ‘follow rules and dress code guidelines’.  I know I can ‘be okay’ with pushing the guidelines a bit - I am just not comfortable with doing that.)
• NCL entertainment is generally excellent, but we are starting to see the cutbacks with the Broadway shows.  We still enjoyed “Burn the Floor” on Breakaway, but we will see what happens next year - we booked NCL Aqua.

 

What we love about Celebrity:

• Excellent loyalty program, which status matched us with our RCL program to ‘Elite’.  Includes nightly cocktail hour with free drinks.  Includes free special breakfast at a restaurant, exclusive for Captain’s Club Elite and up.
• Fewer children, since it is not quite as heavily focused on kids’ programs.
• Lots of public space on the ships - we can usually find a ‘quiet’ spot.
• Excellent food in the MDR and buffet
• Adult only Solarium is included in cruise fare - you don’t have to ‘buy a pass’ to have access.
• Many included food venues, including the Spa Cafe with ‘healthier’ options
• Crew and officers parade on the last day - a very special farewell.

 

What we love about Royal Caribbean

• Excellent loyalty program, including 4 vouchers for free drinks per day (up to $14 value per voucher) - no need for a drinks package.  Lots of free wifi.  One free Photo per cruise.  Crystal ship after certain milestones (we got one of Symphony of the Seas).
• Ships always offer many great activities, including slides, minigolf (something I REALLY missed on Princess), zipline, carousel, ice skating.  Although we don’t cruise for most of these attractions anymore, we did miss the variety of options on Princess.  I had not realized I would miss the action 😄
• Lots of public space, especially on Oasis Class ships. 
• Diamond/Crown Lounge on most ships - an additional public space for Crown and Anchor society (Diamond and up).
• Excellent shows - we especially love the ice skating shows. 
• Many free venues for meals and snacks (promenade cafe, park cafe, El Loco Fresh, Johnny Rockets breakfast, etc)

 

Please share why you love Princess over other cruise lines.

 

I love that there are different kinds of cruise experiences for all to enjoy.  Like I said before, if the price is right, we will absolutely cruise Princess again.  It was NOT a bad experience at all - just not our favorite cruise of all time.

[Daniel A]

20 hours ago, APDMOM said:

I love that there are different kinds of cruise experiences for all to enjoy.  Like I said before, if the price is right, we will absolutely cruise Princess again.  It was NOT a bad experience at all - just not our favorite cruise of all time.

There is one cruise line that I wouldn't recommend to anybody at all under any circumstances.  (Not Princess)

 

I'm interested to know if you would be likely to suggest a Princess cruise to a friend or family member.  If you would consider a recommendation, what factors would you take into account?

(I know, it sounds like a survey question.  😅)

[voljeep]

1 hour ago, Daniel A said:

There is one cruise line that I wouldn't recommend to anybody at all under any circumstances.  (Not Princess)

 

I'm interested to know if you would be likely to suggest a Princess cruise to a friend or family member.  If you would consider a recommendation, what factors would you take into account?

(I know, it sounds like a survey question.  😅)

Barnival?

 

I wouldn't suggest much of anything to anybody - that's just how we roll... but our number of cruises might indicate that 'we' at least are satisfied enough.

[Daniel A]

39 minutes ago, voljeep said:

Barnival?

 

I wouldn't suggest much of anything to anybody - that's just how we roll... but our number of cruises might indicate that 'we' at least are satisfied enough.

No, it was actually what is considered to be a premium line, but I don't want to name it here and start a thread drift.

[doghog]

22 hours ago, APDMOM said:

Please share why you love Princess over other cruise lines

We like to sleep around. We like the differences and similarities between Celebrity (Elite +), Princess (Platinum) and RC (Diamond +). All our cruises are based on intinaries, not ship or loyalty perks/benefits. 

[Jilliebean28]

Thank you so much for one of the best reviews I ever read!

[APDMOM]

6 hours ago, Daniel A said:

There is one cruise line that I wouldn't recommend to anybody at all under any circumstances.  (Not Princess)

 

I'm interested to know if you would be likely to suggest a Princess cruise to a friend or family member.  If you would consider a recommendation, what factors would you take into account?

(I know, it sounds like a survey question.  😅)

😂 I don’t mind answering a survey question.  Yes, I would recommend it to some of my friends.  One of my friends loves to dress up, and I know she will enjoy Princess.  When it comes to cruise pricing, Princess is also much more affordable than NCL or Royal.  I have already started looking at Alaska possibilities on Princess, but we already have 3 Celebrity cruises and one NCL cruise booked, so I am just playing around with options. 

[Scottdalfonso]

On 7/30/2024 at 8:15 AM, Canuker said:

To APDMOM or anyone else who has been on board very recently:

The "Take 5 Lounge", on deck 6 forward: is it still a lounge or has it been swallowed up by the casino? How is the air quality in there now?

 

 

From other posts I've seen here, its more than half non smoking casino, the bar is still there and some areas to sit, But no live music.

1 hour ago, APDMOM said:

😂 I don’t mind answering a survey question.  Yes, I would recommend it to some of my friends.  One of my friends loves to dress up, and I know she will enjoy Princess.  When it comes to cruise pricing, Princess is also much more affordable than NCL or Royal.  I have already started looking at Alaska possibilities on Princess, but we already have 3 Celebrity cruises and one NCL cruise booked, so I am just playing around with options. 

I'm curious about the dress code hang up- I haven't sailed Princess yet but will be on this ship in exactly a month. From everything I read here and elsewhere, the dress code seems to be on par with RC- dress up if you want, but shorts or jeans\slacks and polo\nice t-shirts are just as common. I don't plan on dressing up- I'll bring some long pants and a polo for the dressy night, but otherwise my Khaki  shorts were in my plans for the week.  

[JamieLogical]

36 minutes ago, Scottdalfonso said:

From other posts I've seen here, its more than half non smoking casino, the bar is still there and some areas to sit, But no live music.

I'm curious about the dress code hang up- I haven't sailed Princess yet but will be on this ship in exactly a month. From everything I read here and elsewhere, the dress code seems to be on par with RC- dress up if you want, but shorts or jeans\slacks and polo\nice t-shirts are just as common. I don't plan on dressing up- I'll bring some long pants and a polo for the dressy night, but otherwise my Khaki  shorts were in my plans for the week.  

 

You should be fine with what you are planning to bring.

[ebeluga]

@APDMOM Thanks for the great review and comparison with a few other lines. Is there a reason you did not include MSC in your comparison? I just happen to be curious about MSC. Thx!

[Scottdalfonso]

1 hour ago, JamieLogical said:

 

You should be fine with what you are planning to bring.

Thanks-I was already excited for this cruise, but I just got my email saying I won my upgrade bid, so now I'm even more excited... from Interior to Standard OV Balcony Middle-forward area.  Sorry, just wanted to tell someone, lol 

[JamieLogical]

1 hour ago, Scottdalfonso said:

Thanks-I was already excited for this cruise, but I just got my email saying I won my upgrade bid, so now I'm even more excited... from Interior to Standard OV Balcony Middle-forward area.  Sorry, just wanted to tell someone, lol 

 

Congrats!

[richstowe]

19 hours ago, Scottdalfonso said:

Thanks-I was already excited for this cruise, but I just got my email saying I won my upgrade bid, so now I'm even more excited... from Interior to Standard OV Balcony Middle-forward area.  Sorry, just wanted to tell someone, lol 

About how much did you save by bidding rather then originally booking this cabin?

[Scottdalfonso]

2 hours ago, richstowe said:

About how much did you save by bidding rather then originally booking this cabin?

Quite a bit because I got this cruise for just taxes/fees

[APDMOM]

On 7/31/2024 at 8:08 PM, Scottdalfonso said:

Thanks-I was already excited for this cruise, but I just got my email saying I won my upgrade bid, so now I'm even more excited... from Interior to Standard OV Balcony Middle-forward area.  Sorry, just wanted to tell someone, lol 

FUN!!! Congratulations!