Princess Virgins

[Taswegian wife]

Hi, Hubby and I are looking at a cruise on the Sea Princess, we have only cruised with P&O in the past so have a few questions. The information I can find on the alcohol packages is $59 with drinks up too $14 included, are there many cocktails over $14? The cruise isn't until the end of next year, do they ever have sales with drinks packages included? What are the prices for the specialty restaurants? Are there any other things we need to know that may be different from P&O? TIA

[OzKiwiJJ]

There aren't many cocktails over $14, just a couple. The drinks package covers a very wide range of cocktails.

 

Princess doesn't seem to have specials that include drinks packages in our region, but the drinks package price is the most reasonable around. It is good value for money.

 

There is only one speciality restaurant on Sea Princess, the Sterling Steakhouse which costs $29.

 

I haven't cruised P&O so I can't compare but I think you will be pleasantly surprised with Princess.

[Taswegian wife]

Thanks!

[The_Big_M]

The only things that come to mind that you may be used to with P&O but they don't have on Princess are the activities, esp. the Edge range of options. It's much more sedate on Princess.

[GUT2407]

Princess is, in my opinion, more sedate than P&O, with an older average age, way less kids.

[Aus Traveller]

We have cruised many times with Princess in recent years. Our previous many cruises on P&O were prior to November 2012. We have just returned from one on the Pacific Dawn so can give an up-to-date opinion.

 

You asked about the alcohol package. We saw an incredible number of passengers on the Dawn who had purchased the alcohol package at $79/$84 or had it included in their overall cruise fare (at higher price of course). Many of these people had drinks in their hands from mid morning on, although I did not see anyone adversely affected by alcohol. On Princess, I am sure there are some people who have the alcohol package, but I personally haven't seen any.

 

The average age of Princess passengers is older than on P&O. There will be fewer kids on Princess. I was surprised how many kids there were on P&O even out of holiday period. Activities on Princess are geared more to adults - lectures, dance lessons, craft classes etc. We feel the evening shows are much better on Princess than the current ones on P&O. Our personal opinion of the P&O shows ranted from .5 out of 10 (couldn't wait for that one to end) to 5 out of 10.

 

There are more staff on the Entertainment staff on Princess (I think six) than on P&O where there are three members plus the Entertainment Director.

 

There are more activities for children on P&O compared with Princess. Pacific Dawn has a water park for young children and activities for the over-six year olds - flying fox, enormous water slides, climbing wall etc, but some of these cannot be used in adverse weather conditions.

 

Food is much, much better on Princess. On P&O there are much fewer items on the menu in the dining room and the servings are very small. On Princess you can ask for extra veges, chips, two servings etc. In the buffet on Princess there is table service of drinks/coffee etc. On the Pacific Dawn the Pantry (buffet) is very well set out, but there is no table service. We felt there was not much variety on the P&O buffet on Pacific Dawn. On formal nights on Princess there are special menus. On the second formal, there is lobster and beef Wellington. On P&O, if you wanted steak, there was an extra charge and I didn't see lobster or anything like beef Wellington, even for an extra charge.

 

On Princess many people change to slightly dressier clothes for dinner. There are at least two formal nights where men wear suits or at least long trousers and dressy shirts and women wear cocktail/dinner clothes (most in long skirts). P&O had two "cocktail" dressing nights - one bianco (white clothes) and one Gatsby. Quite a lot of people dressed in costume. On Princess most people dress up for formal nights, but virtually no-one dresses in costumes for theme nights.

 

Princess has cocktail parties (free drinks) for passengers with a champagne waterfall. P&O have cut all this out. On Pacific Dawn we were invited to the Meet the Officers party as the second-most-cruised passengers. Unlimited drinks & nibbles.

Edited June 3, 2017 by Aus Traveller

[OzKiwiJJ]

On formal nights on Princess there are special menus. On the second formal, there is lobster and beef Wellington.

 

And pheasant!

[LC1950]

And Norman's wonderful chocolate desserts.

[Aus Traveller]

And Norman's wonderful chocolate desserts.

Oh, yes! I can take or leave the pheasant, but Norman Love's desserts are superb. In addition to the lobster tails and Beef Wellington, there are interesting menu items like escargot, French Onion soup. The eggplant parmagiana fills a dish around 6 inches by 3 inches and probably nearly an inch deep. On Pacific Dawn, I got two circles of eggplant a little bit larger than a 50 cent piece with a little bit of sauce on it. We remarked on the lack of vegetables served with dishes. There was no separate listing on the menu indicating they could be ordered 'on the side'. Menu items that included 'chunky fries' invariably came with string fries. Not so good in my opinion.

[OzKiwiJJ]

I'm the opposite. I can take or leave the beef wellington but I love pheasant, and lobster. Next cruise I'm going to see if I can have the lobster as an appetiser and the pheasant as my main.

 

Princess eggplant parmigiana is divine!

 

Another thing I like on Princess is the guinea fowl on the last night. I've never even seen that on a land-based restaurant so tried it for the first time on Princess. Yum.

[Aus Traveller]

I'm the opposite. I can take or leave the beef wellington but I love pheasant, and lobster. Next cruise I'm going to see if I can have the lobster as an appetiser and the pheasant as my main.

I always have the lobster as a 'starter' and the beef wellington as the main. :)

[OzKiwiJJ]

I always have the lobster as a 'starter' and the beef wellington as the main. :)

 

(y)

[MicCanberra]

I go surf and turf, the beef wellington with the lobster on the side.

[LC1950]

Yes indeed, DH has the lobster for starters and follows with the Beef Wellington. He just loves B W ... I always have to make it for his birthday each year. :rolleyes:

 

Ooooh yes, I love those little garlicky escargot! LOL over 200 days till my next cruise but can almost taste those delicious little snails. *sigh*.

[mrs and mrs]

Well theres a blast from the past welcome back LC1950,

As for the pheasant, hey give me the gumboot it was cooked with.

[GUT2407]

i go surf and turf, the beef wellington with the lobster on the side.

👍🏽👍🏽👍🏽

[GUT2407]

And chippies

 

And ice cream with dessert.

 

Except when some silly waiter said "you know baked Alaska is ice cream?" What sort of waiter doesn't know even ice cream is better with ice cream, he could have just bought more Alaska :confused::')

[mrs and mrs]

And chippies

 

And ice cream with dessert.

 

Except when some silly waiter said "you know baked Alaska is ice cream?" What sort of waiter doesn't know even ice cream is better with ice cream, he could have just bought more Alaska :confused::')

 

Hope ya didn't stiff him, cause he didn't go above and beyond.:eek:

[Aus Traveller]

Hope ya didn't stiff him, cause he didn't go above and beyond.:eek:

I think they were on Princess where tips are included. :D

[GUT2407]

Hope ya didn't stiff him, cause he didn't go above and beyond.:eek:

Would have if I could have, even had to remind him that I needed chippies, my Rinaldo or Jeffrey would have needed to be told, serves me right for eating with people we'd met during the cruise and not sticking with those who knew about important things like chippies, ice cream and BIG glasses for Diet Coke.