Current Carnival Cruiser - Considering the Switch...advice???

[Super27]

I have 8 cruises under my belt, all on Carnival. I've enjoyed each of them, and tend to be very brand-loyal. However, recently I am thinking of giving Princess a try and would like some advice. My specific issues with Carnival recently are: 1) No more free room service; 2) General decline in food quality/variety e.g. significant cuts to the brunch menu, Steakhouse menu, lack of bacon in the buffet, cheaper cuts of steak; 3) Cuts to entertainment and a lack of any real variety in the main stage shows; 4) Much less enticing casino offers than in the past. In addition to these "cutbacks," we're also just getting a little tired of the Carnival crowd...put rather bluntly we'd like to feel like we aren't walking around a Walmart in a questionable part of town the entire cruise. And less kids would be nice too.

 

After doing a decent amount of research, I've looked into Princess, Celebrity, and Virgin. Virgin is out because I don't really like the young party crowd living it up on mommy and daddy's money either - I enjoy a calmer atmosphere for sure. Celebrity seems very nice but for the price Princess seems to offer a lot of what I'm looking for for a much better price.

 

SO - for those who have cruised Princess (and especially those that have done both Princess and Carnival), what are your thoughts??? Am I going in the right direction here, or am I totally off base in my thoughts so far??? Also, have you seen similar frustrating cutback from Princess??? Keep in mind that if I make the switch I will likely want to stick with that brand for the long haul...like I said...very brand loyal.

 

Thanks in advance for any advice and input!!!

[firefighter4u]

I cruise both - 6 on Carnival, 5 on Princess.  I've noticed cuts with both cruise lines - especially food portions and entertainment.  I will say that you will more than likely be surrounded by more "civilized" people on Princess, which sounds like one of your concerns.  However, I was soooo bored on the Majestic Princess this past April, I was ready to jump overboard!!! Pluses and minuses as will all cruise lines.

[CineGraphic]

14 minutes ago, Super27 said:

After doing a decent amount of research, I've looked into Princess, Celebrity, and Virgin. Virgin is out because I don't really like the young party crowd living it up on mommy and daddy's money either -

 

Many Princess loyalists are looking for greener pastures as well.

Pam & I cancelled our 2 week sailing on the Caribbean Princess and will be trying Virgin for the 1st time in just 16 days. I'm not sure what research you did, but the the young party crowd may be the folks Virgin would like to appeal to, but the folks that actually sail with Virgin is a nice mix of young and old.

 

Nothing is for everyone, so good luck finding a line that fits your needs.

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=25Cq5Ls11Lg

https://youtu.be/-R0imB73ajg

 

[NownZen]

35 minutes ago, firefighter4u said:

I cruise both - 6 on Carnival, 5 on Princess.  I've noticed cuts with both cruise lines - especially food portions and entertainment.  I will say that you will more than likely be surrounded by more "civilized" people on Princess, which sounds like one of your concerns.  However, I was soooo bored on the Majestic Princess this past April, I was ready to jump overboard!!! Pluses and minuses as will all cruise lines.

Being bored has never been an issue for us. It is rather being too busy to get a nap in.

[LACruiser88]

The below current thread might be helpful reading...

 

 

 

[Honolulu Blue]

59 minutes ago, Super27 said:

I have 8 cruises under my belt, all on Carnival. I've enjoyed each of them, and tend to be very brand-loyal. However, recently I am thinking of giving Princess a try and would like some advice. My specific issues with Carnival recently are: 1) No more free room service; 2) General decline in food quality/variety e.g. significant cuts to the brunch menu, Steakhouse menu, lack of bacon in the buffet, cheaper cuts of steak; 3) Cuts to entertainment and a lack of any real variety in the main stage shows; 4) Much less enticing casino offers than in the past. In addition to these "cutbacks," we're also just getting a little tired of the Carnival crowd...put rather bluntly we'd like to feel like we aren't walking around a Walmart in a questionable part of town the entire cruise. And less kids would be nice too.

 

After doing a decent amount of research, I've looked into Princess, Celebrity, and Virgin. Virgin is out because I don't really like the young party crowd living it up on mommy and daddy's money either - I enjoy a calmer atmosphere for sure. Celebrity seems very nice but for the price Princess seems to offer a lot of what I'm looking for for a much better price.

 

SO - for those who have cruised Princess (and especially those that have done both Princess and Carnival), what are your thoughts??? Am I going in the right direction here, or am I totally off base in my thoughts so far??? Also, have you seen similar frustrating cutback from Princess??? Keep in mind that if I make the switch I will likely want to stick with that brand for the long haul...like I said...very brand loyal.

 

Thanks in advance for any advice and input!!!

 

I've done 14 Carnival cruises pre-pandemic and two Princess cruises post-pandemic.  Princess is all right, but I miss the Carnival crowd, some of its food, and its emphasis on FUN.  But with what you're looking for, I think Princess would be a good fit for you, IMHO.  Be sure to check out the thread that @LACruiser88linked in the post above.

 

48 minutes ago, firefighter4u said:

I was soooo bored on the Majestic Princess this past April, I was ready to jump overboard!!!

 

I was on the Majestic in April (though probably a different sailing than yours).  I was never bored, though I tend to bring a lot of my own entertainment (books, videos, games).  I'll agree that the crowd was... um... a little too laid back for my taste at times.  And I didn't go to any of the production shows or see any of the music acts in the atrium, etc.

[nattie]

Before settling on Princess 10+ years ago as our favorite line, we have tried almost all mass market lines (RCCL, Carnival, NCL, Celebrity) and we have been revisiting them occasionally over the past years. The reasons on why we switched to Princess initially are very in line with what you stated - wanting a less of a "party" crowd as well as more overall relaxed  and higher end experience.

We have done 2 Princess cruises this year, one Carnival (awful) and one NCL (Haven was amazing, regular parts of the ship just meh). Things I love about Princess and reason why we are coming back:

• I actually really like Medallion technology and find it a huge plus of not carrying cruise cards around. The benefits Medallion offers to me far outweigh occasional glitches (especially boarding and disembarking)
• overall set up of the ships, especially positioning of smoking areas (including Casinos). I do not want to smell smoke anywhere near the main pool area. Here I would also include size/variety/positions of pool areas, especially on newer Regal class ships
• For my family Princess Plus is the best deal for not being nickle and dimed to death. Neither of Carnival and NCLs packages lived up to the value it offers (this year's comp)
• Passenger mix. Hands down Princess attracts more "civilized" crowd. That includes children. 
• Alfredo's pizza restaurant (Regal class ships). If you tried their veal ravioli, you know what I am talking about...

Are there things I would prefer Princess to improve? Absolutely! Some of them:

• Main entertainment. I might be just getting tired of what Princess has being frequent cruiser :). I felt that Main Theater entertainment was superior on NCL.
• "For fee" restaurant choices. Again, here NCL wins. I do appreciate Princess trying to expand in this area
• Choice of departure ports. Both Carnival and NCL offer ports much closer to me with no need to fly.

 

Om another note, I am not a gambler so I dont know about casino rates. I thought Carnival had the best ones. My friend booked the cruise we have just been on for $100 pp (w/o taxes, so total was closer to $300) when I paid $600 pp.

[mom says]

There's only one way to know if you'll  like Princess cruises. Try it and see. 

[buckeye7]

2 hours ago, Super27 said:

1) No more free room service;

We’ve been very loyal to Princess, but haven’t cruised in quite a few years. We booked a cruise for next spring. Is room service really not complementary anymore? 

[Kay S]

The food is better on Carnival.  Don't order the hamburger at the grill on Princess.  It will make you weep and regret leaving Guy's.

[Honolulu Blue]

10 minutes ago, buckeye7 said:

We’ve been very loyal to Princess, but haven’t cruised in quite a few years. We booked a cruise for next spring. Is room service really not complementary anymore? 

 

I believe @Super27was referring to the fact that most room service on CARNIVAL wasn't free anymore.  Princess room service was mostly free on my two cruises with them.

 

5 minutes ago, Kay S said:

The food is better on Carnival.  Don't order the hamburger at the grill on Princess.  It will make you weep and regret leaving Guy's.

 

I don't know about weeping... I liked the grill burgers on Princess (both direct and through room service), but Guy's is in its own class, IMHO.

[EDDY0827]

6 minutes ago, buckeye7 said:

We’ve been very loyal to Princess, but haven’t cruised in quite a few years. We booked a cruise for next spring. Is room service really not complementary anymore? 

Princess room service is "mostly"included in your fare. There are a few items with an additional price and they are noted as such on the menu. The room service menu has greatly expanded since the advent of the Medallion Class. Pizza has a $3 fee, orders from a specialty restaurant and a few others.

You can order from the tv in your room or your smart device.

[NownZen]

9 minutes ago, Kay S said:

The food is better on Carnival.  Don't order the hamburger at the grill on Princess.  It will make you weep and regret leaving Guy's.

The hamburger and pizza slices were great. Everyone has different tastes.

[marie94949]

Princess has really great pizza!!  All cruise lines are having trouble staying profitable.  In my experience the crowd varies more with location, time of year and length of the cruise than the specific cruise line.  Alaska in summer?  Lots of children.  Longer cruises during the school year, older people, etc. 

[buckeye7]

Thanks for the reassurance about room service! 👍

[Super27]

6 hours ago, CineGraphic said:

 

Many Princess loyalists are looking for greener pastures as well.

Pam & I cancelled our 2 week sailing on the Caribbean Princess and will be trying Virgin for the 1st time in just 16 days. I'm not sure what research you did, but the the young party crowd may be the folks Virgin would like to appeal to, but the folks that actually sail with Virgin is a nice mix of young and old.

 

Nothing is for everyone, so good luck finding a line that fits your needs.

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=25Cq5Ls11Lg

https://youtu.be/-R0imB73ajg

 

 

Thanks for the info! I'll admit a lot of my hesitation to even look closer at Virgin was based on seeing some of their early advertising and some of the first few videos I saw online - basically all obnoxious looking 20-35 year old wannabe influencer-types partying like rockstars - which is NOT my scene at all. I'm glad to hear that's not the whole story though so I'll definitely give them another look!

[Super27]

5 hours ago, Honolulu Blue said:

 

I've done 14 Carnival cruises pre-pandemic and two Princess cruises post-pandemic.  Princess is all right, but I miss the Carnival crowd, some of its food, and its emphasis on FUN.  But with what you're looking for, I think Princess would be a good fit for you, IMHO.  Be sure to check out the thread that @LACruiser88linked in the post above.

 

Not gonna lie the boring crowds sound great to me 🤣 But I'm curious which food items did you miss the most from Carnival? Food is a huge reason I cruise and I'm also a big fan of Carnival's food, so just wondering how they compare.

[spookyfudge]

I am trying two Virgin Atlantic cruises in the spring, the food is suppose to be great! I am a hairs breath from elite but I am up to trying outhers

[CineGraphic]

3 minutes ago, Super27 said:

I'll definitely give them another look!

 

We've been so impressed with Virgin pre-cruise that we're already planning on buying future cruise deposits when we get on board. The current deal is a $300 deposit,  which gets you $300 off the fare  and $600 in OBC. If you are platinum or elite with Princess, Virgin will match your status. Our perks include, VIP boarding, a bottle of Moet White Star, $10 per day credit for specialty coffees, a private sail-away celebration, dedicated concierge service, and a free bag of laundry.

[Honolulu Blue]

1 hour ago, Super27 said:

 

Not gonna lie the boring crowds sound great to me 🤣 But I'm curious which food items did you miss the most from Carnival? Food is a huge reason I cruise and I'm also a big fan of Carnival's food, so just wondering how they compare.

I mentioned Guy's in one of my other posts above. Also, I don't recall seeing things like short ribs or prime rib on either Princess' dinner buffet or room service offering. They're probably available in the MDR and/or specialty restaurants, but I dodged those on my previous trips.

[jjb415]

7 hours ago, Kay S said:

The food is better on Carnival.  Don't order the hamburger at the grill on Princess.  It will make you weep and regret leaving Guy's.

Not to mentions the Blue's Patron Margarita on Carnival - nothing on Princess compares.

Edited October 4, 2022 by jjb415
grammar

[mammajamma2013]

On 10/3/2022 at 11:58 AM, LACruiser88 said:

The below current thread might be helpful reading...

 

 

 

Thanks. I did read that thread; it was interesting.