New to Princess

[gr1634]

We have 24 or 25 cruises with Carnival and one on RCL Oasis of the Seas. Found Oasis to be a beautiful ship and the way RC does their tickets for various entertainment was a pleasant surprise. Having said that we found the "cruise experience" to be pretty much the same. That is not a negative statement - just an observation.

 

With the above as a background we have been doing our research on Princess as we have booked the Calif coastal cruise in April on Crown Princess. Wife has never been to Calif so she is really looking forward to the itinerary.

 

It appears the rooms (we are in balcony room B423) are a little smaller than Carnival, there is no couch in the room, Sanctuary is expensive (although I have seen nothing telling me how much it actually is), there are few decks that you can go from front to back on, smoking is very restricted, balconies appear to be about the same size as either RCL or CCL, there are no poles in the theater to block your view of the shows, you can't pre-schedule dinner in the specialty dining facilities until after you get on board, the cruisers in general appear to be a little older than what we run into on Carnival (that's not a bad thing ha ha).

 

Anyone out there done both Carnival and Princess that can clarify or add to our research on Princess. Any comments welcomed.

 

GR

Edited March 16, 2014 by gr1634

[Colo Cruiser]

Couches only in mini suites and above.

Sight lines in the Princess theater are good.

Sight lines in Club Fusion are terrible and may have to watch the show on one of the many TVs that are mounted around the venue.

Sight lines in Explorers are generaly good.

Correct you cannot book any speciality restaurant until you board.

The Crown is a beautiful ship and its a great iteniary.

Edited March 16, 2014 by Colo Cruiser

[skynight]

[quote name=gr1634;42067489.

 

 

It appears the rooms (we are in balcony room B423) are a little smaller than Carnival' date=' there is no couch in the room, Sanctuary is expensive (although I have seen nothing telling me how much it actually is), there are few decks that you can go from front to back on, smoking is very restricted, balconies appear to be about the same size as either RCL or CCL, there are no poles in the theater to block your view of the shows, you can't pre-schedule dinner in the specialty dining facilities until after you get on board, the cruisers in general appear to be a little older than what we run into on Carnival (that's not a bad thing ha ha).

 

GR[/quote]

 

B423 Balcony is 9'x5' and covered. Lots of storage in cabin.

Sanctuary is $20/half day; $40 full day; $30 full day if you purchase for the entire cruise. Visit when you board.

Yes, smoking only in designated areas and the lounging areas around the pools are all non smoking areas. It does not go by port or starboard side, just in the areas designated and no smoking in cabins or balconies.

Shows are all walk in. Normally different shows will be in both the theater and Explorer's lounges on the same night. Explorer's lounge holds about 250 or so.

Yes, older crowd, but no too old on CA Costal. Announcements only made a few times a day. Not too many pool games.

Different experience than Carnival and RCI and a way different kind of ship than the Oasis. But the Crown is a very nice ship.

You can walk front to back on all decks above 7

[caribill]

there are few decks that you can go from front to back on

 

Actually, the reverse is true:

 

You cannot go from front to back on decks 4 and 5 because there is no area in the back that is for the public.

 

You cannot go from front to back on deck 6 because there is a galley for two of the dining rooms in the way. (The only reason to even go to deck 6 aft is to go to the dining room there.)

 

You can go from front to back on deck 7-16.

 

You cannot go from front to back on deck 17 because there is no middle part of deck 16 which is above the pools.

 

You cannot go from front to back on deck 18/19 because there is no front part of deck 18/19.

 

So, the only deck where this is a problem at all is deck 6.

[matj2000]

I would take Princess over Carnival any day.

But for me, when booking a cruise, I don't even consider Carnival anymore...

[HRPro]

We usually cruise Princess, but I recently went with my sister on a Carnival cruise out of Charleston on the Fantasy (their oldest ship, I believe), and DH and I just returned from a Star Princess cruise to Hawaii so the comparisons are fresh in my mind.

 

Food and entertainment were much better on Princess--the sight lines in the main theatre on Carnival are terrible and you have to get there really early to get a seat. Food was hit or miss in the DR on Carnival but consistently good on Princess except for beef dishes which were hit of miss. Desserts and breads were much much better on Princess--really no comparison. Don't miss the pizza on Princess--much better than Carnival. I think there is more variety in the entertainment on Princess and the productions shows were better but I enjoyed the Comedy Club on Carnival. Loved the sea day brunches on Carnival--nothing comparable on Princess although buffet and DR breakfasts are pretty good. Don't miss the made to order omelets on Princess. Drinks--quality and pricing were about the same.

 

Cabins--really no comparison since we were in an OV on Carnival and a minisuite on the Star; however, I will say that the Carnival beds are some of the best I've had on a cruise. Very comfortable and nice linens. We had a new pillowtop mattress on the Star, but beds are hit or miss on Princess as they are in the process of upgrading their mattresses. Hopefully, you'll get a new one on the Crown. Carnival has much better robes in the cabins--good size (not shrunk as on Princess sometimes) and terrycloth rather than waffle thin cotton. I missed the fridge on Carnival, but that might have been we were on their oldest ship. You will have a nice mini-fridge on the Crown and can take on sodas, waters and 2 bottles of wine. No towel animals on Princess, but you have individual thermostats in the cabins, which we didn't have on Carnival. It was very difficult to get the cabin comfortable on the Fantasy. You'll enjoy having a closet/dressing area on the Crown vs. the built in closets and no dressing area on Carnival. Bathrooms are comparable except there is much more storage in the bathrooms on Princess. TV coverage goes definitely to Carnival as they offer all three major networks in addition to other options such as ESPN etc. Princess offers a very limited menu of TV channels and none of the three major networks.

 

Public areas on the ship--I enjoy Princess décor--much more elegant and classic than the glitz on Carnival. Fantasy was an older ship and it really showed in the public areas, which were dark except for the neon accents. The ceilings seemed much lower everywhere although to be fair, I was on their oldest ship. You will have more pool options on the Crown, but their adult only sanctuary area does charge, but it is much more upscale than the free adult area on the Fantasy so that's a case of getting what you pay for. There are fewer pool games/activities on Princess, which is a good thing imho.

 

We had excellent service on both lines in both the DR and with our cabin steward. No complaints there. Staff overall (meaning the CD and staff) were much more professional on Princess but Carnival staff was friendly and visible.

 

Your demographic may not be very difficult from Carnival on the Coast CA cruise with Princess but generally Princess is an older demographic than Carnival. We had lots of newlyweds and families with small kids that dominated the pools and hot tubs on Carnival. Rarely see this problem on Princess unless you're doing a Caribbean cruise in spring break times. Chair hogs are a problem with both lines, but I do think Princess is starting to manage this problem better. I saw no effort on Carnival to do so.

 

Smoking is much more restrictive on Princess. I have never smelled smoke on Princess except in the casino, but Carnival still allows smoking in some bars that are open to the inside public areas and it was noticeable throughout the cruise. They also allow smoking around the main pool areas, which I didn't enjoy. For that reason alone, I wouldn't return to Carnival.

 

Hope this is helpful. I think you'll enjoy Princess and the Crown. Have a great time.

[dfields1814]

I think one of the better things Princess does compared with Carnival is the safety muster meeting. At Princess you sit comfortably in a restaurant or a bar or a theater. You don't have go outside and stand next to the life raft. I don't know if Carnival still does that. But it did when we took a cruise on the Splendor a few years ago.

[Pam in CA]

Also, on Princess, boarding usually starts at about 11:30am-Noon and your cabin is ready so you can go directly to your cabin, drop your things off, call and make reservations or whatever and start enjoying your cruise. No having to go to the Lido to sit and wait for hours or pay extra to go right to your cabin.

Edited March 16, 2014 by Pam in CA

[shredie]

Public areas on the ship--I enjoy Princess décor--much more elegant and classic than the glitz on Carnival.

 

There is one buffet on a Carnival ship (which I can't remember) that is so garish, it kills your appetite. (Is it the Legend, maybe? Bright blue mermaids everywhere.) The neon and the flashy colors all over Carnival ships give me a headache. Princess decor is calming (although probably a bit dated) and it's more conducive to a relaxing cruise (which is what I want--me and my demographic.):)

[HRPro]

I think one of the better things Princess does compared with Carnival is the safety muster meeting. At Princess you sit comfortably in a restaurant or a bar or a theater. You don't have go outside and stand next to the life raft. I don't know if Carnival still does that. But it did when we took a cruise on the Splendor a few years ago.

 

Carnival now does their safe muster meeting in a public lounge, but then they make you walk up to the appropriate deck to see your life boat. We weren't there but a few minutes but it was still a hassle walking up all those stairs.

 

We were able to go to our cabin right away as we didn't board until 1:00pm, so I guess we were lucky that our timing was right.

[NOSaints1]

Regarding life boat drill, you're mistaken. Carnival you sit in a restaurant or theatre for about like 10 minutes than your done.

 

 

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[NOSaints1]

I like the decor on the spirit class, it's art. The breeze is more caribbean decor.

 

 

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[OCruisers]

GR .... We much prefer Princess but do sometimes cruise on Carnival because of the convenience of the ports of Charleston & JAX. Also, we have cruised on RCCL (including Oasis).

Crown Princess is a wonderful ship and do think you'll be pleased.

There are some things you'll probably appreciate.

You can go immediately to your cabin on embarkation day.

Payment for shore excursions booked thru the ship are not charged until you are on the ship.

The IC (International Café) is open 24 hours for tasty treats.

If you have any other questions, please feel free to ask and I'll do my best to answer if I know.

Look forward to having a wonderful cruise. :)

LuLu

~~~

[NOSaints1]

You would think because princes is owned by Carnival they would have the same policies.

 

 

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[Maksim]

We have done Carnival many years ago when cruise ships were 600 passengers. We did 3 in a row and gave up cruising for a while as we found that Carnival started to go down in service, food, and everything else. We resumed cruising 10 years later with Princess and love it a lot!!! So far we have done 5 on Princess and are planning #6. Yes, the cabins are a bit smaller compared to RCL, or even Celebrity, no couch, unless you have a mini suite. However, storage space is adequate and balconies are just fine. The other thing is that shower is very small and if you are large person, it could be uncomfortable. We like the service and International Cafe on deck 5. Also layout of the ships is usually user friendly. We also like the spa and adult pool that is very conveniently situated. Although, I have to say that Celebrity Spa supercedes other cruise lines. We have no problem with food on Princess, however, entertainment could be better. Hope this helps. Please keep in mind this is our personal opinion and could not necessarily fit your taste. Another thing is that we live in California and for us it's convenient to take these cruises from L.A (no flying). Any other questions, will be happy to respond.

[OCruisers]

You would think because princes is owned by Carnival they would have the same policies.

 

Carnival Corporation owns Princess, not Carnival Cruise Lines.

Princess, HAL, Cunard, Carnival, Costa, etc. are separate brands of Carnival Corp. and do not have the same policies. Each operates separately and focuses on a different passenger base.

LuLu

~~~

[fnewman]

As you can see we have sailed almost every main stream cruise line and, overall, find that Princess is the best choice for us. Without trying to enumerate the various pros and cons, for us Princess ships offer the most enjoyable value for our money. Sure, every ship is a little different, but overall the experience is pretty much the same. Yet it boils down to what you get used to. For example, we did not at all like having to book shows, etc. ahead of the cruise as we ahead to do on RC. After all, we don't always know what else we might want to be doing once of we get on board. What we have learned to do is to "go with the flow" and never let anything take away from our enjoyment of any cruise.

[leatonniu]

I don't know if Carnival still does that. But it did when we took a cruise on the Splendor a few years ago.

[riclop]

Oasis is a class by itself , princess doesnt compare.

[wallycat16]

I am new to princess as well and was wondering why sometimes the princess website quotes prices including port taxes and sometimes excluding them? Thanks.

 

 

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[Cruisin' Chick]

If you're interested in a specialty restaurant, and not trying for a special holiday (like Valentines Day), it'll probably be pretty easy to get a reservation once you are on board. In fact, when you're at dinner, the head waiter will probably make the rounds of all his tables and ask if he can book Sabatini's, etc., for you. On our last cruise, he came up to our table after a few days and said we were getting a complimentary dinner there (because of a favor I had done for someone, even though I wasn't expecting to get anything) and he said he can get us in the next night.

[caribill]

I am new to princess as well and was wondering why sometimes the princess website quotes prices including port taxes and sometimes excluding them? Thanks.

 

 

There was a short period of time last year when Princess did only display the "what you see is what you pay" pricing that included all taxes and fees.

 

Then they went back to the old method of having some fees and taxes listed seperately.

 

My guess is that the "what you see is what you pay" prices made Princess appear to cost more than similar cruises on other cruise lines that did not include all taxes and fees in their up front pricing.

 

Since that "experiment" last year, Princess has consistently shown pricing with those additional taxes/fees listed seperately.

Edited March 17, 2014 by caribill

[cruisergal 1]

Regarding life boat drill, you're mistaken. Carnival you sit in a restaurant or theatre for about like 10 minutes than your done.

 

 

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We just got off the Freedom a couple of weeks ago and we had the muster drill at the life boat stations. And we waited for over 20 minutes uncomfortably in rows until it even got started. The whole process was probably 40 minutes long!

[kjets]

Regarding life boat drill, you're mistaken. Carnival you sit in a restaurant or theatre for about like 10 minutes than your done.

 

 

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On Carnival Spirit out of Sydney we stood outside on the deck, shoulder to shoulder, peering into the person's neck in front of us. We were 6 deep and about 30 wide and stood like this for a good half to three quarters of an hour! :cool:

[existentialtraveler]

I would take Princess over Carnival any day.

But for me, when booking a cruise, I don't even consider Carnival anymore...

 

we feel the same way. We belong to the ABC club...Anything But Carnival!