New To Princess

[ricok987]

Hello:

I have been on 5 cruises-3 Carnival, and 2 Holland America Line. How does Princess differ (good/bad) from Carnival & HAL? I can say the difference between Carnival and HAL is like night & day, but, some things are similar that I am sure I will find on Princess. (Bingo, Lido, Casino, Shops, etc.) Just curious: would Princess be more like Carnival, or HAL?

[BalconyGal]

I haven't sailed Hal, but I would say Princess is nothing like Carnival. Princess is much more elegant without being stuffy. There is no neon. The decor is understated but very nicely appointed. There are some similarities but mostly it is a totally different vibe.

[snrlnd]

I have never sailed on CCL but have HAL. IMHO HAL is closer to Princess than RCCL or NCL. I think the food on Princess exceeds HAL but overall service is fairly equal.

[pokey's mom]

We have not sailed Hal or Carnival but have friends that have, and I would say Princess is closer to Hal.

[JimnKaren]

We have done both. 3 on Carnival and 1 HAL (next one is HAL). And, we have done several Princess.

 

Demographics of the clientele skews a bit older on HAL and a bit younger on Carnival. Princess has a wider age group. Of course...a lot depends on the itinerary. We sailed Princess 14-night to Hawaii and saw lots and lots and lots of folks in their upper 80s and older. We sailed HAL into the Sea of Cortez and the scooters park outside the dining room in the evening reminded me of my fathers retirement community.

 

If school is out, and the cruise is less than 10 days, families will be present and the activities will be adjusted accordingly. We thought that the food on Carnival was superior to NCL and Holland America.

 

So much is dependent on the ship's size, where it goes and when it goes there. That will change the age group of the passengers and thus the overall feel of the ship.

 

Enjoy all of your upcoming cruises!

 

Jim

[janina]

Holland is more similiar to Princess. Carnival does not even come close in the food, ships elegance, cabin size and ammenities. But Carnival does win when it comes to the parties.:) It really depends on the itinerary for the age range on princess, where I think Holland is mostly older, not too say we haven't hit lots of seniors on some princess ships. But this did mean, more pool area for us!!!:):)