cruise veteran, princess newbie

Ok, we booked the Crown Princess Dec. 6-13, Mexican Riviera cruise. It is the wife and I and my 34 year old daughter with my 18 month grandson. Separate cabins (I am not that crazy). I have taken 30 previous cruises between Carnival and Royal. However this is our first Princess cruise. What I would like to know is how the experience will differ. Especially in the areas of food, entertainment, and on board life. Also one specific question, Will my grandson be allowed in the splash pool with swimmy diapers? Thank you in advance.

No way. They look the other way for many things but diapers isn't among them.

No way. They look the other way for many things but diapers isn't among them.

Thank you, that's what I wanted to know. Curious that you didn't answer any other questions.

No swimmy diapers in the splash pool!

Food is so very subjective but we like the MDR food on Princess lots better than on Carnival or RCCL.

There are activities throughout the day to keep most amused but no "hairy chest" contests. There's live music at the pool area at some point almost every day.

Good evening entertainment. Much better than Carnival.

Princess doesn't "roll up the sideways" at 11 PM ... but not a Late Night/All Night like Carnival and RCCL.

Look forward to having a great cruise! :)

LuLu

Joey,

Welcome to the Princess board. As far as your other questions. We used to love RCCL but it's been a long time (never did any of the MASSIVE RCCL ships).

Off the top of my head (and my humble opinion), more then likely you'll find Princess to be a little more sedate then RCCL. However, you are sailing close to the holidays and may have more children on-board.

Food: take note of the International café on deck 5, they have great snacks, sandwiches, soups, quiche', and salads. Many people think there is a charge, but it is free. Also, pay attention to the Princess Patter, there is often a British Pub lunch (held different places) that is very good and also free. As far as dinning room fare - just try different things (food can be hit and miss on any given sailing). They always have fettuccine alfredo which I love.

Entertainment: We don't go to the shows very much anymore, but when we do - go early if you want a decent seat. Forget trying to "save" seats for family, as it gets closer to show time the masses "will eat you alive" - lol.

Have fun and enjoy your family.

Happy Sailing Everybody!

Tammy

Thank you, that's what I wanted to know. Curious that you didn't answer any other questions.

We found the food very similar to RCCL with slight variations in item presented. If you likes RCCL, you'll like Princess.

The night life is more subdued than RCCL and it really quiets down after 11 PM unlike RCCL or NCL.

We haven't done Carnival but from what I hear it's probably dead in comparison.

You'll be able to go directly to your cabin upon boarding. No waiting around on Lido deck.

Fewer big production shows, a nice variety of entertainment options from trivia to piano bar to comedian to show, for example.

Dining rooms are 1-story and set up to give the feeling of being in a nice restaurant. They have a more intimate feel. No dancing or singing waiters.

In general, no towel animals although some cabin stewards will make them.

The old Princess tag line, "Escape Completely" is more apt than "Come Back New." Princess cruises tend to be relaxed and more laid back than some other lines. Energetic but not high energy.

Food is subjective but I think the food quality and variety is better on Princess than RCCL. If there's something you want that's not on the menu or you want to modify a plate, just ask. Princess is very accommodating. Probably the best pizza at sea; among the best Italian food at sea. :)

In the buffet, tables are pre-set and staff takes beverage orders, from juice to mixed drinks. With a little one, this should be a bonus since you don't have to juggle juice or milk along with a plate of food.

This all sounds very good. Thanks to all. We are a bit tired of the carnival product. It used to be great but there have been too many cutbacks. Royal has abandoned the west coast so our only option was princess. To my surprise it was cheaper than a similar carnival cruise, win, win. The crown princess looks very nice in the online photos. So now we can't wait.

The one thing that confuses many newcomers to the Crown is that deck 7 is the only public deck (no cabins) that has a path to go all the way from aft to forward.

In other words, you cannot get to deck 6 mid or forward from deck 6 aft. And deck 5 aft is not even accessible to passengers.

This is similar to RCCL Voyager class ships where you cannot go from deck 3 forward to the deck 3 aft dining room because Studio B blocks the way.

You may want to go to the Princess web site and download the Cruise Answer Book which will give you an insight into many things about Princess. https://book.princess.com/captaincircle/brochureRequest.page

Crown Princess is a great ship! We've sailed on her several times. Be sure to give IC (International Café) on Deck 5 a try for some tasty treats. :)

LuLu

Ok, we booked the Crown Princess Dec. 6-13, Mexican Riviera cruise. It is the wife and I and my 34 year old daughter with my 18 month grandson. Separate cabins (I am not that crazy). I have taken 30 previous cruises between Carnival and Royal. However this is our first Princess cruise. What I would like to know is how the experience will differ. Especially in the areas of food, entertainment, and on board life. Also one specific question, Will my grandson be allowed in the splash pool with swimmy diapers? Thank you in advance.

My first six cruises were on Carnival, then we took our first Princess cruise and became hooked on this line. So I can't speak about Royal (but I doubt if we will go on that line as we are aiming for two week cruises and a self-service laundry is a must for us).

And as others have said, swim diapers won't be allowed in any of the pools, not even the one in the kids' area. Some passengers who have booked a balcony will get a small inflatable pool to use so their toddler can enjoy some pool fun. Fortunately our girl was all trained up by her third cruise.

Food is subjective, but we're not foodies anyway. The waitstaff will dote on your g.s. just like on any cruise line. Your daughter may want to bring a sippy cup (a waiter will fill it with milk or juice for you), detergent to clean sippy cup in your sink, maybe any toddler size utensils, any toddler medications (you can't count on the ship's store or infirmary to have just what he may need or even be open when he needs it), diapers (ditto), special snacks (if he's into goldfish or whatever, make sure your daughter packs factory sealed individual packages so she can take into port). There's a kids' menu plus all sorts of bread (my girl always enjoys the bread on board, even now that's she's a teen).

There's a lot of different options for dining too. You'll be selecting either traditional or anytime. We've always prefer traditional and it might be nice to have the same waitstaff in your situation. As mentioned, the International Cafe is a must to try out. It isn't enclosed, but it's a set of display cases that are on Plaza deck, mid ships in the Grand Atrium. That area is called the Piazza and during the day and evening, there's variety acts -- from string quartets to jugglers and acrobats.

If your g.s. is already eating pizza (I have a 17-year-old so I really don't remember what she ate back then), there's a pizzeria and also a grill (hamburgers, hot dogs, chicken burgers) by the pool, along with an ice cream stand. The buffet is called the Horizon Court and is open early morning to about 11pm. The IC above is open 24/7. So if the little one wakes up late, you might be able to get him something (depending on what he likes to eat).

As others have said, there's a wide range of entertainment. We took our girl on her first cruise at 23 months and did take her to a show, which she enjoyed (she had been to Blue's Clues Live a month before), but maybe the 18-mo-old won't. There should be plenty of live music that should be a good experience to expose him to. Princess doesn't have the crazy pool games that Carnival does (thank goodness), so no lip sync contests with the banana:eek:, hairy back contest, stuff the bikini with ping pong balls contest. Not sure about kids' movies in early December; when there's many kids on board for the holiday cruises -- which we did three times -- many kid-friendly movies on the Movies Under the Stars screen by the pool during the day and on the in-cabin TV for most of the day and early evening.

And depending on your cruise director, a lot less PA announcements. A big positive for us. Usually port arrivals and the noon announcement from the bridge -- but usually those are not heard in your cabin.

You'll have a mini-fridge in your cabin -- Carnival didn't have those in our cabins when we were on those cruises.

Also the decor is more sedate -- that's another major plus. I don't want to feel like I'm in Vegas, unless I'm in Vegas.

Compared to Carnival, I think the service is much more professional and friendly. The entertainment is better and the food is much better. Haven't sailed RCCL in a long time, but I think Princess is much more similar to RCCL.

One thing that seems to surprise people when they cruise Princess is the fact that the pools are all fresh water rather than salt water.

Maybe then they won't be as wavy...

:rolleyes:

Tom

One thing that seems to surprise people when they cruise Princess is the fact that the pools are all fresh water rather than salt water.

In my opinion each cruise line is different and each itinerary seems to have it's own "flavor"! Alaska is radically different than the Caribbean and than the Med. etc.

Carnival and RCI are more family friendly, at least what I have observed. They also have more of a party atmosphere. Princess seems to be an older crowd and the sidewalks DO roll up at 11pm. at least on the cruises I have been on.

Food wise: each has it's strong points. I think Carnival has the best soups and Princess the worst. Honestly I have been underwhelmed by Princess food and think both Carnival and Royal Caribbean have more selection and tastier meals.

Shows and Entertainment: Royal Caribbean hands down has the best! The costumes, the variety, the music are really pretty great especially for a cruise line.

On our last RCI, we really enjoyed the "Silent Party", "The Quest" and the shops and cafes. We love the Internation Cafe on Princess and love the coffees, sandwiches and desserts they offer!

We live in Florida and have cruised the Caribbean more times than I can count. We are not big Mexico fans and we enjoy the Eastern Caribbean more. But we have done it.

I love Princess for the wonderful itineraries and the longer sailings. The ships are beautiful and classy. Carnival is a bit too glitzy, maybe bordering on garish! RCI are a bit more sedate but attractive.

Service on all three lines is good, with Princess being more refined. (No where near as refined as Cunard, but that's another story).

Kid-wise, I can't help you. We have never sailed with really little ones.

We are on the Crown in October for a 28 day sailing to Tahiti!!!! Can't wait!!!

In any case, enjoy your cruise! Your vacation is what you make of it!! :D

 

Food wise: each has it's strong points. I think Carnival has the best soups and Princess the worst. Honestly I have been underwhelmed by Princess food and think both Carnival and Royal Caribbean have more selection and tastier meals.

Wow, and I thought Princess soups were among the best I've tasted. It goes to show that food is VERY subjective.

Wow, and I thought Princess soups were among the best I've tasted. It goes to show that food is VERY subjective.

Yup!

I love soup...of all kinds! I found most of Princess' soups to be a tad bland. I don't like adding salt to my food and I found I was doing that with the soups.

I will say, however, that there were a few chilled soups (I think it was on Princess :roll eyes:) that were served in parfait or martini glasses that were quite good~~more like dessert!

To us, Princess is the best combination of on-board activities, classy ships, great service, and wonderful food. If you want a nice, relaxing cruise, Princess is it. If you're looking to have all your senses bombarded simultaneously, stick with Carnival or RC.

Yup!

I love soup...of all kinds! I found most of Princess' soups to be a tad bland. I don't like adding salt to my food and I found I was doing that with the soups.

I will say, however, that there were a few chilled soups (I think it was on Princess :roll eyes:) that were served in parfait or martini glasses that were quite good~~more like dessert!

We don't use hardly any salt at home & fine the food on Princess to be over-salted although still tasty. We know it's not the best health wise but since it's only a few times a year, what the heck.

We don't use hardly any salt at home & fine the food on Princess to be over-salted although still tasty. We know it's not the best health wise but since it's only a few times a year, what the heck.

You do not have to endure overly salted food.

Meet with your headwaiter each evening. He will help you plan the next evening's menu selections that can be prepared with no added salt even if salt is normally added.

1-As stated above, there is no charge for food items in the International Cafe, but there is a charge for the (fresh brewed) coffee there.

2-If you take your GS to the dining room (they do have a children's menu if he's into regular food) order a "Volcano" for him. It's basically a large chocolate/banana split. His eyes will probably pop out.

Dang, now I want a Volcano... is it on the adult's menu as well?

I'm not hoping for the eyes popping out part, but the dessert sounds delicious.

Tom

1-As stated above, there is no charge for food items in the International Cafe, but there is a charge for the (fresh brewed) coffee there.

2-If you take your GS to the dining room (they do have a children's menu if he's into regular food) order a "Volcano" for him. It's basically a large chocolate/banana split. His eyes will probably pop out.

You do not have to endure overly salted food.

 

Meet with your headwaiter each evening. He will help you plan the next evening's menu selections that can be prepared with no added salt even if salt is normally added.

Yes we know but we'd rather not since it seems to go to much in the other direction and just during the cruise we don't mind it.

Dang, now I want a Volcano... is it on the adult's menu as well?

 

I'm not hoping for the eyes popping out part, but the dessert sounds delicious.

 

Tom

Adults can order it also. Since it is not shown on the adult menu, the eyes of the other people at your table may pop when it is served.

You are not limited to the vanilla ice cream they normally use in the volcano. You can ask for any flavor they have that evening.

Now, there's a tip worth remembering. We're cruising in October. I'll give it a try.

Thanks,

Tom

Adults can order it also. Since it is not shown on the adult menu, the eyes of the other people at your table may pop when it is served.

 

You are not limited to the vanilla ice cream they normally use in the volcano. You can ask for any flavor they have that evening.