What do I Need to Know About Caribbean Princess?

[bunny1954]

Looking at booking a cruise on Caribbean Princess. Have only sailed Carnival. Please tell me about the following:

 

1. Is the adults only area as big/nice looking as it appears on the cruise deck plans and what type of roof does it have.

 

2. What are the specialty restaurants and the cost to eat in them.

 

3. For those of you who have sailed both Carnival and Princess, how do the size of the balcony rooms compare?

 

4. Any special tips that you wish to share.

 

Thanks!!

[Roxymax]

Looking at booking a cruise on Caribbean Princess. Have only sailed Carnival. Please tell me about the following:

 

1. Is the adults only area as big/nice looking as it appears on the cruise deck plans and what type of roof does it have.

 

2. What are the specialty restaurants and the cost to eat in them.

 

3. For those of you who have sailed both Carnival and Princess, how do the size of the balcony rooms compare?

 

4. Any special tips that you wish to share.

 

Thanks!!

 

 

My tip book Princess or Celebrity. The week of jan 26 2013 has some great deals and rooms still available on the C P doing Southern Caribbean. My next tip is to book straight with Princess. Size of rooms are similar. Decor is better on Princess. NCL and RCCL have small standard rooms. I think the Italian one is 25 pp and Chops is 40pp (not sure.) Most of the balcony on C P are exposed except on Empress it has a roof. Important to call Princess because they know the ships. Book with one level of rooms below you and one above you for noise cancellation reasons. Also the 4 very aft cabins on Empress get noise from Club Fusion Below. Those four aft Empress cabins are two suites and two mini suites.

Of course I cold tolerate the noise if upgrade fairy gave me a full suite for mini suite price.

[RickEk]

My tip book Princess or Celebrity. The week of jan 26 2013 has some great deals and rooms still available on the C P doing Southern Caribbean. My next tip is to book straight with Princess. Size of rooms are similar. Decor is better on Princess. NCL and RCCL have small standard rooms. I think the Italian one is 25 pp and Chops is 40pp (not sure.) Most of the balcony on C P are exposed except on Empress it has a roof. Important to call Princess because they know the ships. Book with one level of rooms below you and one above you for noise cancellation reasons. Also the 4 very aft cabins on Empress get noise from Club Fusion Below. Those four aft Empress cabins are two suites and two mini suites.

Of course I cold tolerate the noise if upgrade fairy gave me a full suite for mini suite price.

 

Well, actually, Sabatini's is $20/pp and the Crown Grill is $25/pp. As for the balconies, only the balconies on Dolphin deck are fully exposed. Caribe deck balconies are 1/2 covered, 1/2 exposed. All the rest are covered. There is no Empress deck on Princess ships... you must be thinking of Emerald deck... :rolleyes:

[Roxymax]

Well, actually, Sabatini's is $20/pp and the Crown Grill is $25/pp. As for the balconies, only the balconies on Dolphin deck are fully exposed. Caribe deck balconies are 1/2 covered, 1/2 exposed. All the rest are covered. There is no Empress deck on Princess ships... you must be thinking of Emerald deck... :rolleyes:

 

Thanks for all the corrections. I am booked on the E deck with a fully covered balcony. They told me only E deck completed covered. They said rest exposed with good chance people looking down on your balcony.

 

The 4 cabins on the aft noise issue or I would have booked one of them.

[RickEk]

Thanks for all the corrections. I am booked on the E deck with a fully covered balcony. They told me only E deck completed covered. They said rest exposed with good chance people looking down on your balcony.

 

The 4 cabins on the aft noise issue or I would have booked one of them.

 

Yes... Emerald deck on the Grand-class ships is mainly obstructed view cabins (they're behind the lifeboats/tenders), except for the mini-suites at the aft which have balconies that are fully covered.

[Roxymax]

Yes... Emerald deck on the Grand-class ships is mainly obstructed view cabins (they're behind the lifeboats/tenders), except for the mini-suites at the aft which have balconies that are fully covered.

 

I am like the first mini suite when the change from Balacony to Mini-Suites gong toward the aft from the elevators on E....

[nycruise]

Having been on both Carnival and Princess multiple times, I can tell you there is no comparison between the two lines. Princess provides a much better cruise experience overall, in terms of food, service, ambiance and just making you feel better about the entire experience at the end of the cruise.

 

Carnival provides good rooms and the entertainment is about the same but lately the food and services have been pretty bad. Once you cruise Princess you'll be hard pressed to go back to Carnival unless they are offering a special itinerary or the price difference is substantial.