Carnival vs. Princess

[suezducruz]

Posted this on the Princess Board....thought I might try for more responses here....

I have a friend going on the Saphire at the end of August on a 11 day land/cruise itinerary.

 

First, should she bring winter wear like a heavy jacket, hat and gloves or will thin layers be sufficient? (I know she should bring rain gear!)

 

Do they sign out blankets on the deck for Alaskan itineraries like they do beach towels in warmer climates?

 

 

Also, I want to help her to know what else to bring, but I have only cruised Carnival so I don't want to give the wrong info.

i.e.-does princess provide soap, shampoo and the nice little comfort pack?

 

Is there a clock?

 

Hairdryer?

 

night light?

 

Anything else that you can mention would be great!:)

__________________

[ruready]

This is so sad... I can barely remember all of the Sapphire details and I was just on that ship in January :(

 

There is no clock, but I believe the tv's main ship station showed a clock. No nightlight; however, I remember we were able to turn off a couple of the lights right from the bed. They do provide some soap and stuff, and will refill when gone. I cannot remember about the hairdryer, but I am sure someone will chime in.

 

What I liked... there is a refrigerator in the cabin. They allow you to bring wine aboard (you may have to pay for corkage if you bring a bottle into the dining room). The dressing/bathroom area is separate from the rest of the room.

 

I have never been on an Alaskan cruise, so I cannot answer those questions.

[sappygirl]

Posted this on the Princess Board....thought I might try for more responses here....

I have a friend going on the Saphire at the end of August on a 11 day land/cruise itinerary.

 

First, should she bring winter wear like a heavy jacket, hat and gloves or will thin layers be sufficient? (I know she should bring rain gear!)

 

Do they sign out blankets on the deck for Alaskan itineraries like they do beach towels in warmer climates?

 

 

Also, I want to help her to know what else to bring, but I have only cruised Carnival so I don't want to give the wrong info.

i.e.-does princess provide soap, shampoo and the nice little comfort pack?

 

Is there a clock?

 

Hairdryer?

 

night light?

 

Anything else that you can mention would be great!:)

__________________

I have not been on a cruise to Alaska but have been on a land vacation there in June. It was pretty chilly. I would tell her to bring a jacket, gloves and a hat if she plans on being on deck quiet a bit. You also have to take into account the wind factor on the ship. The best way to dress would be layers. That way she can eliminate when she needs too.

[amistad]

We went to Alaska in August a few years ago and did not need a heavy jacket. I mostly wore jeans, undershirt, long sleeve pullover and topped it off with a hoodie or windbreaker eachday while walking around and on tours. For sure take the rain jacket, it rained almost everyday on us. We took a backpack and if it warmed up we just took off clothes and put them in the backpack. I traveled on Princess last October in a balcony cabin they provided a robe, hairdryer, shampoo, conditioner, soap and lotion. I hope this helps.

[suezducruz]

Thanks for all your responses!

[TargetsMom]

We were on Diamond Princess in May, Whittier (Anchorage) to Vancouver. Yes, they do hand out blankets to use on deck. We were lucky and had the most amazing weather our entire trip. Hope your friend is as lucky.

 

kathy

[PlanoDebbie]

We were on the Sapphire Princess 4 years ago when they sailed Inside passage out of Seattle. Our ports were Ketchikan, Juneau, Skagway and Victoria BC. It was late June when we were there. At the end of August, I would suspect that the averages temps will be around 60 to 70 for a high. Depending upon where your friend lives, that may feel terribly cold, or just about right for her. It was over 100 here in Texas when we packed for our trip.

 

Ketchikan is very rainy, so definitely be prepared for that if it's one of the ports. I don't think we had it any colder than 50 in any of the ports. We had a mini suite and really didn't use it much because it was a bit chilly while we were cruising.

 

We all dressed in layers which are a little bit easier to adjust as the temps change. I usually wore a long sleeved fleece button up shirt over a t-shirt. On top of that I had a line wind-breaker. For me that was more than plenty. Although we packed hat and gloves, we didn't really use them. Since they don't take up much space, it's probably easier to go ahead and pack them just in case.

 

The Sapphire is a beautiful ship! Tell your friend to enjoy it.

[mizLORInj]

Yes, there are hair dryers on Princess, and little bottles of shampoo, conditioner and lotion. There is no basket with little goodies in it. Clock readout on the phone along with your name on the screen. No nightlight.

The ships are beautiful--I think Sapphire has the clamshell up front (their mega ships have this) on the promenade deck. LOVE that feature where you are in the bow of the ship outside.

I like both Princess and Carnival. have fun and pack layers of clothing for Alaska!