Carnival or Princess

[IflyWithDi]

Why would anyone choose Princess over Carnival.

[Taryn and Sarah]

Is this a trick question or are you picking a fight? It's pretty obvious by your previous cruises which line you prefer. I haven't been on Princess yet, but I'm sure plenty of others on here will tell you why they love princess.

[IflyWithDi]

Not trying to pick a fight Just got off the CB yesterday .First Princess cruise.

Not a trick question .Been on Carnival lots on times before but willing to give others a try and wondering other peoples opion as of why they think one is better than the other.

[bubbadog]

its the welcomed feeling i get from the crew,and the atmosphere of the boat,plus the destinations we go to are unforgettable:))):rolleyes: ;)

[SeaTeacher]

Not trying to pick a fight Just got off the CB yesterday .First Princess cruise.

Not a trick question .Been on Carnival lots on times before but willing to give others a try and wondering other peoples opion as of why they think one is better than the other.

 

Since you are an experienced Carnival cruiser, I think it would be nice to hear your opinion first. Others will, no doubt chime in.

[Toto2Kansas]

We began our cruising on Carnival, cruised several times with that line. Then our cabin and deck had a serious flooding problem on our last real cruise with them. It wasn't the flooding that upset us (although it did ruin most of our things), it was Carnival's attitude towards it. These cruises were on some of the older ships, I have to admit. But the treatment of the staff on Carnival on that 'cruise from hell' for 12 days was just more than either of us could take.

 

We switched over to Princess and realized that the atmosphere onboard the Princess ships was more elegant and far superior to any of the Carnival ships we had sailed on. The staff were kind and willing to help in any situation and the ships were elegant vs. cheap looking.

 

Carnival wanted us back, so they offered to send us on a free 'press cruise' (even though we aren't travel agents or press) to try to get us back on one of their newest ships. We boarded and both broke out in laughter when we saw the decor onboard. It was absolutely cheap and tacky in our opinion. Even though everything was free on that cruise, drinks, photos, everything, we still couldn't stop from laughing at how cheap and gawdy the decor was. We got off that ship and have never returned to Carnival.

 

After 17 (or is it 18 now?) Princess cruises we have decided that if at all possible we will stick with Princess from now on. There is a possiblity of maybe sailing on HAL or Celebrity in the future, but those are the only other two that are in the running for us. Honestly, if Carnival ever offered another free cruise, we would turn it down and that is not a joke. Just not interested in that type of cruising experience.

[goghd]

I've done 5 cruises and only one carnival. Did a CP last month and while it was not perfect nor the best it was far better than carnival.

 

Let's start with the opening emergency drill. Princess is the best of any cruise line.

 

Food -- Princess gets a marginal better -- buffett a plus but the dining rooms only a tad better. Service was way ahead on princess.

 

Shows -- Princess way better

 

Bars etc. -- Princess hands down.

 

Television/cable -- both are bad.

 

Internet -- Princess a little better

 

Bottom line: I'm getting ready to book a cruise in Sept 07 and I will only go on Princess.

 

So my vote is Princess is the choice if you only can pick between Princess and Carnival.

[CruiseFever]

As always, this is a matter of personal preference for the most part. The ships of both lines have food, beverages, activities, cabins, crew and other similar elements.

 

Besides a personal feeling that Princess scores higher in any or all of those areas, one might choose Princess because of the diverse itineraries they offer. Carnival simply does not deploy their ships in a similar manner.

 

There's no personal preference or choice there, just a fact.

 

Here are some other facts that could be a reason why someone might pick Princess over Carnival:

• They deploy the youngest, most consistent fleet of ships with an average age of 5.8 years
  
• They also have the newest ships going to many areas of the world such as South America with the new Royal and Star Princess doing 12 to 24 day itineraries and more sailings to the Amazon than any other major cruise line
  
• They visit every continent with the widest variety of itineraries and departure dates
  
• They are a pioneer in exotic cruising, calling on exotic ports longer than any other fleet
  
• In Alaska, only Princess offers Glacier Bay National Park and College Fjord on virtually every gulf cruise, Director to the Wilderness ship-rail-lodge all in one day, at least two nights at Denali National Park on every cruisetour and has five of it's own Alaska Wilderness Lodges
  
• Going to Australia/New Zealand and Asia, Princess offers a choice of three ships of various sizes and passenger capacity; Sapphire (2670), Sun (1950) and Regal (1590)
  
• They have the private island, Princess Cays
  
• They will be totally switched over to E-tickets soon instead of paper docs.
  
• Past Guest Program offers more to repeat guests..although Carnival does seem to be trying now, at least with those who have done a bunch of sailings
  
• Better Travel Insurance Policies. One can recover 100% of otherwise non-refundable fees in the event of a covered emergency, nobody else does that. Even on voluntary cancellations they let you recover either 70 or 90% of non-refundable fees in the form of a future cruise credit.

Those elements may or may not be of interest to someone considering Princess. One factor not on the list which is a set-in-stone fact for me is that I have never recommended Princess to anyone who has not come back raving about their onboard experience.

[dclark]

I have sailed RCL twice (ick!) and CCL eight times and now am trying Princess.

I have loved CCL because the food was good (love the pizza, deli, supper club, yogurt, burgers, steak sandwiches, chocolate buffet), rooms are great (large, with good beds).

So, why would I leave them?

1) The shows- I have seen all the shows.

2)The ships- it is fun on the first day to explore a new ship. This is gone with CCL. For example, the Valor is the same as the Glory, Ecstacy same as Elation. While I know that Princess has sister ships, I haven't seen them!

3) Dancing waiters- I am severely annoyed at the "dancing waiters" on CCL and the stupid colors game.

4) The cruisers are getting a bit rough. The last cruise that I wnet on had the Crimson tide group from and I saw shirtless people in the buffet area, almost got in a fight with people who used a banana to save a chair... we were even forcibly moved from our table to a booth in the dining room because the people there were too fat to fit in the booth. I even got video tape of a shirtless, shoe less kids running onto the ship minutes after it was supposed to depart from St. Martin!

5)Crowds. CCL's way of saving money is to crowd people on newer conquest class ships. There are just too many people on them.

If I don't like Princess, I'll give HAL a try.If Princess has lesser quality food, lesser quality bedding,I'll still be happy as long as it doesn't feel overcrowded.

[corkpopr]

Well, here is dangerous ground. Let me say that Carnival ships are super clean, ver friendly staff, very good food, great casinos, nice bars. so then what exactly is it that makes princess so much better? they don't have the passengers from carnival.

[mortysmama]

We've been on 13 cruises, #14 coming up in March on CB. It will be our 4th Princess cruise. We've been on Costa, Celebrity several times, Hal and NCL a couple of times. I've never had the inclination to book a Carnival cruise precisely because of stories like those that have been posted here. I will continue to cruise and if I have my way it will always be Princess. I'm never disappointed in anything on a Princess ship. Not every cruise is perfect, but Princess comes as close as you can get...imho.

 

Happy cruising!

[ucsbgirl]

My husband and I have sailed on both-we will probably use carnival again in the future, when we have kids. Carnival seemed to do the kid thing better. Overall, we perfer Princess, more food choices/better food, better entertainment...Our biggest complaint on the Fun Ship was there never seemd to be any fun. Princess always offers sail away parties, champagne waterfall, etc. There seemed to be none of that on Carnival.

Just my two cents!

[dclark]

Well, here is dangerous ground. Let me say that Carnival ships are super clean, ver friendly staff, very good food, great casinos, nice bars. so then what exactly is it that makes princess so much better? they don't have the passengers from carnival.

 

Come 12/23/06, they'll have four former CCL passengers- my family!

But seriously, you can get a feel for the difference between CCL and princess passengers just by reading the boards.

Here's a few examples of what I have noticed:

Food quality questions have been answered with opinions with examples to substantiate. Over on the CCL board, I have seen many glib replies along the lines of "As long as I am not cooking I'm happy!" which is often followed with "LOL!". This leads me to think that the poster would be happy with seven nights of dining at the local Denny's.

Another one- tons of questions about sneaking booze on board!

The most common topic on Princess appears to be the pros/cons of anytime dining.

The CCL has had a lot of posts about chair hogging, much more than Princess.

So, I think you could say there is a difference between the people that cruise both lines.

[Toto2Kansas]

Come 12/23/06, they'll have four former CCL passengers- my family!

But seriously, you can get a feel for the difference between CCL and princess passengers just by reading the boards.

Here's a few examples of what I have noticed:

Food quality questions have been answered with opinions with examples to substantiate. Over on the CCL board, I have seen many glib replies along the lines of "As long as I am not cooking I'm happy!" which is often followed with "LOL!". This leads me to think that the poster would be happy with seven nights of dining at the local Denny's.

Another one- tons of questions about sneaking booze on board!

The most common topic on Princess appears to be the pros/cons of anytime dining.

The CCL has had a lot of posts about chair hogging, much more than Princess.

So, I think you could say there is a difference between the people that cruise both lines.

 

I think you are getting very close to the main answer.

Although we have several friends that prefer to sail on Carnival, the reason being, told to me by them, was the price. They just can't afford more than the bare minimum for a cruise, so they choose carnival.

 

But I have to agree, the passenger make up is totally different from this line to that. IMHO of coarse. :D

[shepp]

I'm not an experienced cruiser - only been on one HAL cruise - but I've happily chosen Princess for my second. Though I'm in my 50s, I maybe atypically still go to cutting-edge rock shows, love roller coasters, etc. But that sort of thing isn't what appeals to me about cruising. If I'm going to hand over my money to a cruise line, in return I'd like a certain standard of elegance (though nonsnobbish if possible), as few drunken yobbos as pratical, and not (sorry) being exposed to other peoples' unruly kids. And yes, I like going to Las Vegas, but if I had my druthers, I'd stay at the Bellagio or the Wynn than New York, New York or Circus Circus. Every time I look at photos of CCL's "decor," it sets my teeth on edge. Which is not to say that CCL isn't some peoples' idea of heaven, and more power to 'em. And yeah, HAL skewed a bit on the old side for me, but when we booked alongside a Carnival ship in Ocho Rios and I mingled with the Carnival cruisers onshore, I was glad I was amongst the 80-year-olds.

[Rixnsd]

I like Princess Cruises because I used watch the Love Boat on TV when I was a kid.

[CPPADILLA]

Without a doubt, no problem at all answering this question, the answer is Princess. Recently completed my first Carnival cruise and without going into lots of detail my choice would be Princess. :D

[Junicruiser]

We have been on 3 cruises and will be on a Xmas cruise in December.

We have gone on one cruise to Alaska on Princess and two cruises to the Mediterranean and Bermuda on Celebrity. Loved them both! Our Xmas cruise will be with Princess to the Caribbean. We have avoided Carnival for the same reasons most other people on these boards have listed:

The rowdy crowds and the party atmosphere. I want a quiet, restful vacation and I outgrew the drunken bashes back in high school. Give me Princess or Celebrity any day!:)

[KKB]

Well, here is dangerous ground. Let me say that Carnival ships are super clean, ver friendly staff, very good food, great casinos, nice bars. so then what exactly is it that makes princess so much better? they don't have the passengers from carnival.

 

our only experience w/ Princess found the ship super clean, friendly staff, very good food (except buffet, which was typical buffet food), great casinos, nice bars! SO if Princess has all those, guess they win my vote!

 

We have had Disney to compare to; we found that from an adult perspective, the 2 lines were nearly identical in comparisons. No reason to spend 30% more for a nearly identical adult experience...EXCEPT 30%+more kids, and nightlife dies by 11PM.

 

Would I do Carnival? If the timing & price were right, sure. My uncle's comparison was that it was like staying at the Super 8 after you had gotten used to the Embassy suites. His words, not mine. That being said, I (& he) seem to have a good time no matter where we go or what we do!

 

Happy cruising!

Kris

[KKB]

Although we have several friends that prefer to sail on Carnival, the reason being, told to me by them, was the price. They just can't afford more than the bare minimum for a cruise, so they choose carnival.

 

:D

 

Funny, the 2 main reasons I have booked our only 2 cruises were the price. I was actually torn between RCI & Carnival for March originally. And was leaning toward Carnival after seeing its rooms are quite large. BUT Princess came through...got an email from a travel agency (different than the online agency who got us a great deal last time) with a price that won it for me $550 pp in March (spring break price increases) w/ $50 room credit & a coupon book (we used several things from it last time). PLUS airfare was comparable to booking it ourself...always a bonus.

 

Happy cruising!

Kris

[KKB]

My husband and I have sailed on both-we will probably use carnival again in the future, when we have kids. Carnival seemed to do the kid thing better. Overall, we perfer Princess, more food choices/better food, better entertainment...Our biggest complaint on the Fun Ship was there never seemd to be any fun. Princess always offers sail away parties, champagne waterfall, etc. There seemed to be none of that on Carnival.

Just my two cents!

 

Now, Carnival will ALWAYS beat their price, and my experience is only w/ Disney for kids. Disney TOTALLY knows how to do it w/ kids...why wouldn't they? My children (and all their cousins...) wanted to be in kids/teen clubs A LOT (they all wanted little to do w/ us adults!); they all hung at the Mickey pool (18" deep) even up to the 13 year old cuz of the slides; the entertainment is outstanding--even from an adult perspective;

Disney also allows you to leave the kids on ship if you want to go onto port w/o them (I haven't found others do this...though I have not done through research)..that was nice in St. Maarten when we wanted to hit the casinos since there is none on the ship. Kids were fine w/ it as we assured them that was the only port we would do that at.

 

From an adult perspective, we found Princess & Disney to be nearly identical when we compared all areas; therefore as a couple we will stick w/ Princess--30% cheaper, better dining room food, fewer children.

I was NOT impressed w/ dining room food on Disney BUT there adult dining room (Palo) was ABSOLUTELY FABULOUS. Probably the best food I have had ANYWHERE. When we take the children again in 5 or so years, I may eat a meal there EVERYDAY if I can arrange it!

 

But as as I have said before...ANY trip is a good trip. That being said, while I have enjoyed each & every trip I have ever been on--usually due to great company--there are places I have no desire to return to.

 

Happy cruising!

Kris

[Rixnsd]

The Mini Suites rock on Princess. I loved the Coral and will do the Grand in January after refirb, The Spirit Carnival is nice too.

[Leafpeeper]

We sail on lots of cruiselines. We've taken many Carnival cruises and recently took our first Princess cruise on Crown Princess.

 

I will never sail Carnival again unless it is a short 3-5 night cruise for many reasons.

 

Advantages of Crown Princess v. Carnival:

 

1. Anytime dining in 2 restaurants as well as 2 specialty restaurants.

Really enjoyed eating at whatever time we wanted at any size table.

 

 

2. Outdoor movie theater--great for football Sunday.

 

3. Pools-so many different pools to choose from.

 

4. Buffet- Carnival had only one dessert on our Carnival Triumph

cruise last February--reminded me of a school cafeteria.

 

5. Booze - prices much lower on Princess.

[Cruzman]

Just like a change of pace now and again! Especially like the fresh water pools on Princess! Having said that however, I always gravitate back to Carnival because I am a cruise addict and Carnival's pricing (especially with the military discount) offers me the opportunity to cruise more often.

[senior lady]

This is an interesting thread. We're "die hard" Princess cruisers. Have tried NCL (never again)

Rccl.... was good, would try them again. The Radiance class is fantastic.

Celebrity..... was good, but very expensive drinks. Would probably try a

newer ship. The Mercury was just to small.

 

We did the full canal transit on the Coral last may and loved the ship. We liked it soooo much we've booked the Island 15 day Hawaii trip for next April.

 

We've cruise the Mexician Riveria so much that I know all the standard ports by heart. I did notice that the Carnival Spirit has a new itinerary. It's an 8 day with 4 days at sea, and ports are Acapulco ( we love) Ixtapa/ Zinuatanejo and Manzanillo. We've been to these ports but only a couple of times and for very short stops. Carnival has all day stops. But i'm having a hard time convincing myself that we should try Carnival??

 

Guess we'll just have to wait and see if Princess gets any new itinerary's for next yrs Mexico riveria. We live on the west coast so it's so much easier flying into either LA or San Diego.

Such a dilemma:rolleyes: