Princess any different than Carnival?

[nlktx49]

We're going on our first Princess cruise on April 10 - the last cruise it will make out of Houston. We've cruised Carnival 12 times, always been pleased with it. I'd like to hear from someone who has cruised both lines who can tell me if there are any big differences between the two. We won the cruise from Eldorado Casino in Shreveport LA!

[cruisequeen4ever]

Congrats on winning a free cruise!! I've cruised both, and the differences I see on Princess are...much better food, more elegant and calm atmosphere, much fewer noticeably drunk people, higher level of service, much older average age, and a just overall more relaxing experience. Carnival is all about fun and activity and liveliness. They suit different personalities, and that's the beauty of choice! Though I guess in your case, you don't have a choice this time. [emoji5] I hope you love your Princess cruise!

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums mobile app

[Rosethorn40]

Spring break time in Texas should be over by the time you sail, so you should find mostly couples, probably an older demographic then what you are use to seeing on Carnival. Less families, fewer multiple-generational groups.

 

Not sure what Carnival ships you are use to, but you will find the Caribbean Princess to less flashy than most Carnival ships (no neon, colors are more subdued). I really like Princess a lot, have sailed on them more than any other cruise line, but I like Carnival too.

 

Princess has more pools on their ships, and the Caribbean Princess has two adult only pools that tend to be quieter. Usually Princess doesn't feel like a party ship.

[Qcruise]

We've cruised Carnival three times to Princess about 8.....you'll find Princess ships more "elegant" in style where Carnival might be more Vegas glitz. Carnival has more "fraternity" type pool games (think hairy chest, belly flop, best man legs) where Princess might be more subdued pool games (we saw a golf chipping contest or other male/female challenge games). No more towel animals on Princess. We think the food is good on both lines, broadway type entertainment is good on both....comedians we like Princess. Overall we found Princess to be a better fit for us, their frequent cruiser system is easy to move up and we like the perks.

[SadieN]

Food is very subjective. We like Carnival's MDR and Princess buffet set up. ATD on Princess can be a joke. Reservations are allowed and, depending on the ship, fixed diners can use ATD.

Balcony cabins and lower will be smaller than Carnival's. Shower will be about half the size. Decent vanity. Both lines have lousy shampoo and liquid soap in the shower.

Closet is open with a closed cabinet fitted with shelves. The safe is also here.

On the desk are two 110v outlets. These are placed very close together.

Our Princess cruises have had similar games as Carnival. No Hairy Chest but other equally inane entertainment. Both have the Love and Marriage show.

No piano bar but there are very good entertainers. Comedians can be as good as on Carnival.

Edited March 21, 2016 by SadieN

[caribill]

Although there is not a separate piano bar on Princess, Crooners is essentially the same. A bar with, in the evening, a piano entertainer.

 

The Princess buffet is open from around 6 AM until about 11 PM while the Carnival buffet is closed between breakfast and lunch and between lunch and dinner.

 

The International Café on deck 5, open 24 hours, offers snacks at no cost, from doughnuts and pastries at breakfast to salads and sweets the rest of the day.

 

Hot chocolate is free all day on carnival and has a charge after breakfast on Princess.

 

Carnival introduced unlimited Internet usage packages in the past year. Princess packages are for fixed numbers of minutes.

[shredie]

The sandwich deli on Carnival is the thing I miss on Princess. Carnival also has a much bigger salad bar. The dining room food on Princess is a little better than on Carnival, IMO, but they do kind of overdo it with the chocolate desserts. A nice fruit pie like you can get on Carnival would be a nice change. The decor is more subdued on Princess, especially in the buffets. The Carnival room service menu is also better than the one on Princess, IMO.

[caribill]

No dancing and singing waiters in the dining rooms on Princess.

[PrincessLuver]

We're going on our first Princess cruise on April 10 - the last cruise it will make out of Houston. We've cruised Carnival 12 times, always been pleased with it. I'd like to hear from someone who has cruised both lines who can tell me if there are any big differences between the two. We won the cruise from Eldorado Casino in Shreveport LA!

 

It think the health clubs on Carnival are much more complete, open earlier and much nicer then Princess. ATD on Princess is usually a disaster because they run it as "Anything Goes Dining" where Carnival highly monitors who gets into ATD and also Carnival allows no reservations.

[exbiologist]

Better participation of formal nights on Princess

[elliair]

We're going on our first Princess cruise on April 10 - the last cruise it will make out of Houston. We've cruised Carnival 12 times, always been pleased with it. I'd like to hear from someone who has cruised both lines who can tell me if there are any big differences between the two. We won the cruise from Eldorado Casino in Shreveport LA!

 

IMHO, Carnival has the better tasting food. I'm looking forward to our Legend cruise to Alaska in May. I can't tell you about the entertainment as I think both lines have shows that are at best high school theatrics. We quit going to the shows - bored to death. The comedians and a celebrity singer might be worth the effort to attend. Internet speed is the same on both lines. The decor on Princess is more subtle than on Carnival. Carnival has more glitz and colors. Clientele is different as well. Younger crowd with kids on Carnival, older people on Princess. More wheelchairs and walkers on Princess, it takes forethought to avoid them. We cruise both lines - mainly for the itinerary and ship.

[joeyancho]

Princess is the superior experience, hands down. After at least 20 Carnival cruises we tried Princess. What a difference! We won't be going back to Carnival. Everything was so much better on Princess.

[MrMan]

I can't tell you about the entertainment as I think both lines have shows that are at best high school theatrics. We quit going to the shows - bored to death. The comedians and a celebrity singer might be worth the effort to attend. .

 

I have to agree with you on the Carnival "family" of ships be it Carnival or Princess, the entertainment is weak compared to RCI, NCL Broadway shows and dinner theatre shows. This is one area the Carnival "family" needs to step up. No more Six Flags style "Lets Dance" "Disco Inferno" type shows and more Broadway, Cabaret type shows would be a big improvement. I would even pay a cover for better entertainment.

[iceleven]

Trying to compare the two cruise lines is a bit unfair if you only compare the ships you have cruised on. Some Carnival ships are quite nice; the older ones used for short, coastal excursions...not so nice. An older Carnival ship cannot compare to a newer Princess.

 

I've found both inconsistent food quality on both lines. I think it is more dependent on the major chef on each ship.

 

Carnival cabins tend to be larger than Princess. A Princess mini-suite is more similar to a standard Carnival cabin yet twice the price.

 

Carnival ships have more Spa facilities. Many Princess ships have none. (Not speaking of only massages and salons)

 

There is nothing on Princess dessert menu that compares to the Carnival Chocolate Melting cake. Trust me, I've sacrificed myself trying to find one.:p

 

Carnival = color Princess = beige

 

Carnival has a history of comfortable beds. Cannot say the same for Princess but they are gradually improving that problem.

 

Princess has more food options outside of eating in the main dining room.

Princess generally has an older crowd but that can also depend on the itinerary.

[golfb4cruzing]

Congrats on winning a free cruise!! I've cruised both, and the differences I see on Princess are...much better food, more elegant and calm atmosphere, much fewer noticeably drunk people, higher level of service, much older average age, and a just overall more relaxing experience. Carnival is all about fun and activity and liveliness. They suit different personalities, and that's the beauty of choice! Though I guess in your case, you don't have a choice this time. [emoji5] I hope you love your Princess cruise!

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums mobile app

 

Spot on. The only thing I would add is if there are kids, they are better behaved also. Enjoy your Princess trip. I think they are night and day. We are going on Carnival in April and I can't wait for October Princess trip.

[rockdoctor]

We sailed an itinerary from Houston and followed a Carnival ship from port to port. The Carnival ship had loud blaring music to welcome passengers back to the ship. It got to be fun waiting to see how many highly inebriated people would have to run down the pier as the crew was getting ready to sail.

[Skai]

Having recently sailed both lines, I would agree with most of what has been accurately stated ITT.

 

I would add(from strictly a casual dining options standpoint)...

 

What I do like about Carnival (at least the ships with the 2.0 upgrades) is the wide variety of cook-to-order station options for Breakfast/Lunch/Snacks. (Along with Pizza) Be it "Guy's Burgers", "Blue Iguana Cantina/Salsa Bar", "Mongolian Wok", "The Deli", "Cucina del Capitano", "Shake Spot" as well as the various self-serve stations around the ship -- Such as what's also offered in the "Taste Bar", "Havana Bar", "C-Side BBQ" etc.. Even the "Burrito Station" and "Omelet Station" in the buffet are nice to have as addtional options.

 

Perhaps I couldn't find it, but it seemed as if there wasn't a cook-to-order omelet station on our recent Ruby Princess sailing, or IIRC, a place where one could place an order for one to be brought to one's table -- as on other previous Princess cruises.

 

Princess has occasionally had cook-to-order stations, like "Prepare your own bowl of Miso/Noodle soup" et al., however they are usually offered on only one day of the cruise.

 

It's worth noting that Princess does have pretty good Pizza, or at least they used to. The last couple of sailings have been a little sub-par IMHO.

 

The 24hr International Cafe, is a nice option for a grill-press (panini-style)sandwich along with a couple tasty side-salads and desserts available, but Princess doesn't really have the wide variety of options that Carnival has in this dept. Pizza and hamburgers/hotdogs is about it, outside of dining in one of the sit down restaurants or the Horizon Court(buffet).

Edited March 22, 2016 by Skai

[ar1950]

..........................

Perhaps I couldn't find it, but it seemed as if there wasn't a cook-to-order omelet station on our recent Ruby Princess sailing, or IIRC, a place where one could place an order for one to be brought to one's table -- as on other previous Princess cruises.

.........................

 

Its there. You just need to look up on top of the serving counter (not the lower area, but, up above on top and there is a sign. You order the omelet and the guy gives it to the cook in back. You get a piece of paper with your order number on it. BTW, order the omelet first and then get the rest of the food that you want. You give the paper with the number to one of the servers that bring juice, coffee, etc. and they get the omelet and bring it back to your table. The only issue that we had (on the Ruby and the Star) the last few sailings is that most of the time they were far behind on fixing the omelets and we were done with our other breakfast items before the omelet came. On our last cruise a guy at the table across from us was actually getting up to leave before he got his omelet. He just left it sitting there on the table.

[rdsqrl]

. . .

What I do like about Carnival (at least the ships with the 2.0 upgrades) is the wide variety of cook-to-order station options for Breakfast/Lunch/Snacks. (Along with Pizza) Be it "Guy's Burgers", "Blue Iguana Cantina/Salsa Bar", "Mongolian Wok", "The Deli", "Cucina del Capitano", "Shake Spot" as well as the various self-serve stations around the ship -- Such as what's also offered in the "Taste Bar", "Havana Bar", "C-Side BBQ" etc.. Even the "Burrito Station" and "Omelet Station" in the buffet are nice to have as addtional options.

. . .

It sounds like the food court at a shopping mall. Not appealing.

 

[shredie]

It sounds like the food court at a shopping mall. Not appealing.

 

 

Well, I guess it does sound that way, but it's more just "stations" within the buffet, a grander version of what Princess does with the desserts or the salad bar. I really do like the deli section where they have great corned beef on rye, freshly made. There is also the regular buffet line with the usual stuff, potato, veg, chicken, etc.

[Skai]

It sounds like the food court at a shopping mall. Not appealing.

 

 

Well for some, what food may "sound like" is not the biggest factor in its appeal to the senses.

 

While Princess absolutely has better things going for it overall, having experienced both enough to warrant an opinion, Carnival is significantly better in terms of the casual (included in the fare)dining options on board.

 

While a grill-pressed ie. Cubano w/ some chicken, pasta salad etc. from the IC is tasty, the options there are still fairly limited to a few selected sandwiches and a few side salads.

 

'Alfredos' is a nice venue as well, but not every ship has one. One can get Sushi/Tapas at 'Vines', but what about those that don't like wine(not including me;))?

 

There's no (build-your-own ingredients) Burger station, No build-your-own Pasta Bar, No build-your-own Stir-Fried Veggies/Protein Bar. No-build-your own Burrito Bar. No Deli -- offering Reubens, Grilled Ham&Cheese, Pastrami on Rye etc etc etc.

 

The breakfast, lunch, snack options are somewhat more limited on Princess (in comparison to Carnival) -- outside of going to the Horizon Court or one of the sit down restaurants to dine.

 

Hey a slice of Pizza or two is fine for a quick bite, but I think I've had one hotdog and one burger ever on Princess....And a frozen puck patty w/ iceberg lettuce, a tomato and white onion is rather boring.

 

Mushrooms, shredded lettuce, grilled onions, crisp bacon makes for much better burger toppings FWIW. Seasoned fries with fry sauce only helps compliment it more.

 

Being port intensive cruisers. We're often 'on the go' in the morning ready to maximize our time in port. We usually don't want to make the time to sit down in the MDR for a longer breakfast. Truth be told, we also tire of the same ol' same ol' offerings in the Horizon Court/Caribe Cafe for a warm breakfast. Additionally it's usually quite busy in the morning, finding a seat, getting through the compact buffet line -- Especially with people both going clockwise and counter-clockwise around the stations.

 

It's nice to be able to go to a separate area away from the crowd. Have the option to get a breakfast burrito (w/ choice of ingredients) or Huevos Rancheros -- also having access to a fresh salsa/toppings bar. Or perhaps another area that has an omelet station set up with limited breakfast items. Or another place that offers Cuban empenadas and other savory breakfast pastry items available.

 

All of the above is not even bringing up cover charge venues. How about a Sushi Bar w/ other Japanese fare? Or what about an Asian-fusion restaurant?

 

It's all about options.

 

However for some, the same ol' same ol' is fine -- as familiarity can bring comfort.

 

To each their own.

Edited March 22, 2016 by Skai

[hightownCO]

I cruised Princess several times (am platinium) and then for the last several years have cruised Carnival. My next cruise is on Princess. Both lines have there + and -.

 

Things I'll miss on my Princess cruise that Carnival does better: Better cabin layout with sofa; A little larger bath/shower; Better free restaurant or food choices such as Cucina del Capitano, Burrito Bar (or Blue Iguana), Deli is better, Mongolian wok, Seaside BBQ (on Dream class), Red Frog; more comfortable theater seating (bench style with drink tables); Network TV (ABC, CBS, NBC); In cabin review of folio, menus, etc.

 

Things I like on Princess: Better and more pool choices on Grand Class ships with more adult only pools; Better movies on MUTS; Also like the way the MUTS movies are shown on different venues (like in cabin and in Vista or Wheelhouse); Better closet layout in cabin; on Grand Class wider balconies(although I can't afford a balcony anymore; Better service in the buffet with drink service, utensils on table; International café.

 

You'll have a great time.

[LewesBeach]

Agree with everything thats been said. Ships and itineraries can vary but - Generally the overall noise level on Princess is lower; Decor is subdued, less flashy and colorful; Mostly older crowd, fewer families, fewer party goers.

[nlktx49]

Thanks to all who responded, more than I expected! Sounds like Princess will be more to my liking as I'm not much of a party person and have never taken part in the craziness part of Carnival.

 

Very thoughtful responses that covered exactly the information I was looking for. After this cruise, however, it's unlikely I'll cruise Princess after this one as they won't be sailing from Texas any more!

[slwmjd]

We're going on our first Princess cruise on April 10 - the last cruise it will make out of Houston. We've cruised Carnival 12 times, always been pleased with it. I'd like to hear from someone who has cruised both lines who can tell me if there are any big differences between the two. We won the cruise from Eldorado Casino in Shreveport LA!

 

its like comparing a Yugo to a Cadillac.