Would an RCL, Carnival guy like Princess?

I appreciate all the comments. It is interesting that some think I’m a partier to like RCL and Carnival. I’m not. Sounds to me like I might enjoy Princess.

I’m 29 my wife is 26 and we have booked princess. Everything I’ve read here is right up our alley. We like to have fun, but want to unwind and enjoy the sights and slightly more upscale, not be around a bunch of drunk partiers.

Well there was a time on Princess that I was standing there minding my own business and DW got annoyed about something and threw a bucket of water on me and splashed me and a few others and next thing I knew won a contest.

Best laugh I’ve had all day. :)

After my first Princess cruise i never set foot on Carnival again. Princess is an all round superior experience.

While we have sailed more on Royal then Princess, we have had wonderful cruises with Princess. We did feel Princess appeared more laid back then Royal but again I think it had more to do with a particular itinerary then anything else. Our 17 day Panama a few years back had something going on all the time while the 7 day coastal i did with friends in 2013 hardly anything happened. My only real complaint with Princess, is their standard balcony cabins are smaller because they include the balcony with the dimensions.

We cruise on Princess because we like the on-board talks and discussions about the ports we are about to visit, the ocean and its wildlife, and the geographical and cultural aspects of the voyage. We like to learn something about the places we are visiting. We enjoy the laid-back relaxing atmosphere. On sea days, we like to sit quietly on our balcony and watch the ever-changing ocean and sky.

We don't need: a climbing wall, go-karts, water-park type slides into the swimming pool, high-decibel karaoke, high energy nightclub action at 2 A.M. with rap or trap music bands that can be heard in every stateroom, wet t-shirt contests or tequila chugging contests. If you need any of that to make your cruise a happy one, then it's best to stick with Carnival.

We fun activities like bingo, trivia, line dance classes, live music in the Piazza, as much as anyone else, but the atmosphere in general on Princess is more relaxed, educational, and sophisticated. In general, it appeals to a more mature demographic. Just my opinion. We're really happy on Princess because of the on-board discussions and presentations that help passengers learn about the ports they are visiting.

We're perfectly happy to let the party-all-night-long-and-throw-empty-beer-bottles-over-the-railing crowd sail on Carnival. To each his own.:)

Just got off the emerald princess. Last cruises have been , Royal, NCL and Carnival. We really enjoyed it. It had great points and less desirable points. I would say if you are curious and have found a good itinerary and price go for it.

Correction from above : We love fun activities like bingo, trivia, etc. :)

I cruised on Carnival and loved it until I tried Princess. It's more upscale all around from food to service to clientele. It's quieter with less of a party atmosphere. I would say the entertainment is a notch below Carnival. There are far fewer children on board Princess and the ships are more traditional and elegant. The ship quiets down earlier as well.

This is the best answer to your question so far. Not only are the ships more traditional and elegant (far less likely to see people trying to do formal night in jeans) but the passengers are better mannered and well-behaved without being stuffy. The International Cafe and the beautiful lobbies are wonderful, and it is a very relaxing experience. It fits well for our family and was a great choice for Alaska.

Regardless of which line we are on, we enjoy evenings in a bar or listening to music, don't really care about the shows, but will attend if it is something new and will occasionally watch a movie. During the days we don't hang out of the lido deck (we love the huge Carib deck balconies on many of the ships) but rather our balcony or spend our time walking the track or the ship, perhaps playing some trivia, watching an ice carving, or sampling food or having tea. On Princess, on a sea day, they may very well have a true informational talk (not one of those cheesy where to shop talks Carnival does) on the next port, or offer a movie in a lounge or the theater. We don't partake of the deck parties or the dance club on either line. So, if you don't need those bells and whistles or the Funship parties and are just happy to be sailing, Princess could work for you.

We cruise Carnival because it gives us a lot of bang for our buck and is the leader in itinerary options close to home in the Caribbean; we tend to sail at Christmas and spring break with our kids and need 7 day or shorter itineraries that have ports in the US. As our children age, and as we get closer to retirement and the ability to take longer trips, Princess is definitely going to be our line of choice to see the world.

Nope- we have done all three and our least favorite is Princess. I would suggest you go on Royal- Oasis or Freedom class

Let me add, I would look for an itinerary you like and pricing and go with what you feel you will enjoy. I do believe many have offered their views on what Princess offers so give them a try and decide for yourself. I will agree A&J family in that the Princess Ships are more elegant, and are beautiful ships. Royal has probably more outside activities with the flow riders, Bumper Cars etc, but believe Princess goes more with offering their passengers a more relaxed cruising experience. I do miss the talks. Whatever you decide, have a wonderful cruise.

Have never been on Princess. Lots of Royal Caribbean and Carnival experience. Will I like Princess?

Pretty much what Shepp says is right. If you like relaxing, you'll enjoy(though the daily annoying announcements are getting more numerous)If you like Hairy chest parties/water slides/dumb pool side games/rock walls etc. then no, Princess(or Celebrity aren't your thing)

I appreciate all the comments. It is interesting that some think I’m a partier to like RCL and Carnival. I’m not. Sounds to me like I might enjoy Princess.

Almost impossible to answer this question unless you are willing to share what it is you like about the other 2 lines.

If someone told me they liked Carnival and RCL I would assume they like a more active onboard experience because both lines cater to that.

Princess IMO offers a more refined product, with generally better service, better MDR food, and more dining options throughout the day.

I appreciate all the comments. It is interesting that some think I’m a partier to like RCI and Carnival. I’m not. Sounds to me like I might enjoy Princess.

I find Princess and RCI to be more similiar than different.

I do prefer the food and more personalized service on Princess. It is a little more subdued, but that's nice sometimes. I do go back and forth a little bit once I get bored with one, it's nice to have a little different experience.

Both offer a great product, albeit a little different.

I cruised on Carnival and loved it until I tried Princess. It's more upscale all around from food to service to clientele. It's quieter with less of a party atmosphere. I would say the entertainment is a notch below Carnival. There are far fewer children on board Princess and the ships are more traditional and elegant. The ship quiets down earlier as well.

I would agree with this the most, but a Carnival LIVE sailing gives them points in the entertainment department in my opinion. With that said I love both lines for the different experiences they give and I have fantastic memories with both as well.

We are 58. We agree the food is better on Princess. The comedy better on Carnival. The singers and dancers better on Princess. The steak house better on Carnival. We got bored on Princess easily. They had a lot of spa talks and nothing really appealing to us. Our 12 day Alaska on Princess they said the average age was 72 on board. No one was out and about walking or doing anything. They were all inside and there was not a lot of inside places to sit. The Alaska ports were great and that's what we went for. (and the fact our friends got married on board)

It was not a bad cruise though. I would go again. It was our 2nd Princess cruise. The 1st one was the Coastal cruise and that I would say the average age was 80.

That being said....Disney is still our favorite (and we have no small kids) Best service, restaurants, entertainment, food and last we went they allowed alcohol to be brought on board. :)

I think you may like Princess though. It is relaxing.

Odd. I've done dozens of Princess sailaways and, except when there was rain, there's always been dancing on deck: the Wobble, the Cuban Shuffle, and of course the Electric Slide and Y-M-C-A. Wobble baby wobble baby wobble baby wobble...

I've only been on the one Princess Cruise (Regal).

There was no Wobble, Cubid Shuffle, etc. on that Sailaway. Matter of fact, I was happy because they had "Line Dancing Classes". I went to those, and that was the only time I heard these songs and was able to Line

Regal Princess Sailaway was kind of lame with Kool and the Gang "Celebrate" song as the highlight.

This didn't make it a bad Sailaway. It's the clientele and I get it.

I'm no expert on the Princess brand, however, the OP wants to know some of the differences from Carnival/RCCL and this is one that I experienced.

I'm on the Carribean Princess, May 26th sailing. Can't wait!:D

Basically I like a decent room, a nice balcony, decent food, an occasional decent show. Carnival meets this criteria, and is the most affordable. I love RCLs big ships. Have also enjoyed Holland America. I love the ocean and sometimes beaches. I hate when they make me get off the ship at the end!

Have never been on Princess. Lots of Royal Caribbean and Carnival experience. Will I like Princess?

Yes, I think you will.

I'm a Royal Caribbean guy as well. We sailed Princess to Mexico and in the Mediterranean within the last two years.

We really enjoyed Princess! No, they don't have water slides or zip lines but they have great entertainment, great food and they stay out of your way and let you enjoy the cruise. They do have the obligatory art auctions, but they don't blast the info in your cabin.

We liked the laid back atmosphere yet the ships were very classy and the service was great. The ships are great as well.

Would we sail with them again? Absolutely. We made a future cruise deposit on our last cruise!

Basically I like a decent room, a nice balcony, decent food, an occasional decent show. Carnival meets this criteria, and is the most affordable. I love RCLs big ships. Have also enjoyed Holland America. I love the ocean and sometimes beaches. I hate when they make me get off the ship at the end!

I think you will have a great time on Princess. While their main shows are not always our favorite, I think they have some of the better entertainment in the smaller venues around the ship.

I think Princess is a very affordable option, even when compared to Carnival.

Book it, I don’t think you’ll be disappointed.

I’m 29 my wife is 26 and we have booked princess. Everything I’ve read here is right up our alley. We like to have fun, but want to unwind and enjoy the sights and slightly more upscale, not be around a bunch of drunk partiers.

My feelings exactly -- we cruised several other lines before and now are confirmed Princess customers! Enjoy your cruise!

I think you will have a great time on Princess. While their main shows are not always our favorite, I think they have some of the better entertainment in the smaller venues around the ship.

 

I think Princess is a very affordable option, even when compared to Carnival.

 

Book it, I don’t think you’ll be disappointed.

I think Celebrity is a better option- have been on Princess and was very disappointed. It is what I would call "plain Vanilla" Shows not good-food blah. Not a fan. Celebrity has only one announcement per day and limited smoking- Casino is non-smoking also.