Need advice Princess vs Carnival

[ToyFoxFan]

WE are mid 60's and have been on 3 Princess cruises. They all have been wonderful but expensive and a little stuffy lol. I have heard Carnival has a lot of kids and heavy partying.What are the differences for those of you that have cruised on both. Planning 40 yr anniversary probably at least 8 day. Thank you

 

[sparks1093]

I'm mid-60, DW mid-50. Yes, there can be parties going on. There can certainly be a lot of kids, especially during school vacations (although parents will take kids out of school for a cruise if the price is right). Most partying and groups of kids are fairly easy to avoid, especially on the larger ships. Serenity is a good place to hang out to spend time in the pool and to get sun. The upper decks have plenty of loungers and it is relatively quiet for reading, sunbathing, etc. We've always been able to find quiet places to sit inside, as well. I have heard that the longer (10 day or more cruises) tend to have less partiers and kids, but no direct experience. I say give it a shot and see if you like it, because that is the only way to really know.

[Guest BasicSailor]

I think I'm at the point of life where I find Carnival to be to rowdy and overcrowded and a bit red neck Ish. Princess on the other hand I have to agree with you stuffy and snooty comes to mind. Maybe try all the lines till you find one to your liking. Even land vacations have become popular again. I can just sit my Burbon in my room and walk out on the balcony of a hotel for the sights and peace of mind. Without any company telling me I can or cannot do this or that 😉

[ninjacat123]

I agree, an 8 day or longer cruise on Carnival would probably have fewer children and be less of a "booze cruise".  Congrats on 40 years!!  Have a great cruise!!

[jsglow]

We're in our early 60s.  The 'party' image for Carnival is overblown, especially on the longer cruises.  Sure you'll find that on the 3 nighter to Nassau.  You really won't on a 8+ nighter. (We've done several).  Yes there are more families on Carnival.  But except during summer and holidays (including Spring break), it's not an issue and I find it kind of fun to hear joyous young people on vacation.  Kind of reminds me when I was there in my own life.  We like the live music MUCH better on Carnival.  Princess does tend to be a bit stuffy that way.  I'll sail on both again but do generally prefer Carnival.  A good question we ask ourselves is Carnival v. Princess to Hawaii.  At the same price point we'd choose Carnival.  The one place I'd absolutely choose Princess is Alaska where they dominate the market.

Edited October 28, 2022 by jsglow

[jsglow]

Duplicate

Edited October 28, 2022 by jsglow

[coldweather]

The Carnival experience is very different on an 8 day cruise when school in in session vs a 3 or 4 day cruise when the kids are out of school or during college spring break. 

 

I love Carnival in January and February. I avoid Carnival in June, July and August. 

[kwokpot]

2 hours ago, ToyFoxFan said:

WE are mid 60's and have been on 3 Princess cruises. They all have been wonderful but expensive and a little stuffy lol. I have heard Carnival has a lot of kids and heavy partying.What are the differences for those of you that have cruised on both. Planning 40 yr anniversary probably at least 8 day. Thank you

 

I think you need to articulate what you're looking for in a cruise vacation. Do you enjoy using water slides and rock climbing walls? Do you want to participate in big deck parties? What type of cabin do you like to stay in? Do you spend a lot of time in your cabin? Do you like to spend time in various bars? How important is the dining room food to you? Do you like going to the buffet? Do you enjoy a sophisticated cruiseship setting or do you prefer a more casual, laid-back cruise vacation? The answers to these questions might reveal whether Carnival is a good fit or other lines such as Royal or Celebrity might be better options. 

Edited October 28, 2022 by kwokpot

[OhioDogLover]

I have done both cruise lines and believe that each has its benefits.  

Carnival - In my experience (two 7 nights and one 8 night), it is a rowdier atmosphere.  However, I (early 60s) generally find it just fine.  I like the Carnival comedy club and think they have the best games.  (I love games.) Negative, the food, which I find mediocre at best.  But food is subjective and everyone has their own opinion and no one is wrong there.  I can always find something I like.  Always. Number of kids depends on when you go. I think the cabins are nice on Carnival.  I have another Carnival booked.

Princess - In my experience (17 or 18 cruises), it is more sedate.  Not as formal as it used to be, which is just fine with me.  It is fun, and I always have a great time on Princess.  The entertainment is also good on Princess.  Food is much better, IMHO (see above). Negative, they don't have a comedy club and their games, while very fun, generally, aren't quite as much fun as Carnival. Cabins are just fine on Princess. I have another Princess booked.

My favorite cruise line is Celebrity.  All else being equal, I'd pick Celebrity.  Reason, I think Celebrity is just a bit nicer, all the way around.  I don't have a Celebrity cruise booked right now, but I will at some point.

 

I agree with Kwokpot that it all depends on what you are looking for.  If you want something more informal, I'd certainly recommend giving Carnival a try.  Just my thoughts.  

 

Ohiodoglover

[groundloop]

3 hours ago, ToyFoxFan said:

WE are mid 60's and have been on 3 Princess cruises. They all have been wonderful but expensive and a little stuffy lol. I have heard Carnival has a lot of kids and heavy partying.What are the differences for those of you that have cruised on both. Planning 40 yr anniversary probably at least 8 day. Thank you

 

 

Carnival has deck parties as well as occasional parties in the atrium, usually hosted by the cruise director.  I'm an old fart (65) and don't find these parties bothersome in the least.  They're easy to avoid if that's your choice, but if nothing else I think they're fun to watch.  

 

Someone who doesn't know any better might see one of these parties on an online video and get the impression that's all that happens on a Carnival cruise, but that's absolutely wrong.  You won't even notice the party unless you happen to wander into it. 

 

There are A LOT of other things to do onboard, on my recent cruise to Hawaii one of my favorites was a daily talk by a naturalist about the history of the islands, their geology, how the Polynesians navigated to Hawaii, etc.  I doubt if there are many online videos about that.

 

As far as food quality, I think that was an occasional problem early on after the restart, but in my last 5 cruises on Carnival the food has been great.

 

 

Edited October 28, 2022 by groundloop

[ObstructedView2]

3 hours ago, ToyFoxFan said:

WE are mid 60's and have been on 3 Princess cruises. They all have been wonderful but expensive and a little stuffy lol. I have heard Carnival has a lot of kids and heavy partying.What are the differences for those of you that have cruised on both. Planning 40 yr anniversary probably at least 8 day. Thank you

 

 

Hi @ToyFoxFan🙂

 

We sail Princess, Carnival & Royal. Always long Back2Back cruises. An 8-day voyage compared to a 6-day or less on Carnival is literally like night & day. With Carnival just stick to longer sailings at a time when kids are in school. We find that February is best for us. You'll certainly enjoy an 8-day! Bon Voyage & Happy Anniversary!

 

🍷🥂🍾🥂🍷🍾🥂🍷

[cruisinqt]

I’ve done both and the whole party boat booze cruise reputation Carnival has is an old wives tale told by cruisers partial to upscale cruise lines that have never even been on a Carnival cruise before. They just make assumptions based on unfounded gossip. Yes it gets a bit rowdy during spring break or in the summer months when there’s lots of kids. But what cruise doesn’t have this problem? I saw one of the worst drunken fights ever on a Princess cruise during spring break. 
 
The differences are like the differences between going to a 5 star Michelin restaurant and a normal (but very highly rated) restaurant. At the 5 star restaurant you’re in your high heels, dressed to the nines watching your “p’s & q’s” and on your best behavior. It’s a bit stiff and formal but an experience to remember. With the more laidback (but highly rated) restaurant the food is just as good but it’s more laidback. You can wear more comfy clothes, the waiter may joke with you, everyone’s laughing and having a good time and there’s dancing and singing too. Both are good experiences it’s just up to you as far as your preferences go. 
 

For my husband and I, Hal and Princess were nice but just not our cup of tea. We loved the boujee feel to everything but it just felt a little too stiff and formal for our tastes. One of our main gripes is that everything pretty much closed down (except for a bar or 2 and the casino) by 10 pm. On the other hand, Carnival and Royal Caribbean were right up our alley and very very similar to one another. 
 

One thing that stands out with Carnival is how much is going on after 10 pm. Like the late night adult comedy shows, midnight chocolate buffets, and shows in the main theater starting at 9:30 or 10:00 pm. Plus there’s late night karaoke and sing alongs in the piano bar going on into the wee hours of the night. I just hate going to bed at 10 pm when I’m on vacation. 
 

I also like the thermal suites in the spa. For a reasonable fee you can get a weekly pass for unlimited use of the saunas, steam rooms, heated bubbly therapy pool, and heated marble loungers. It’s adults only with spa music playing in the background. I’ve had some of my best naps in those heated marble loungers after having a good soak in the hot therapy pool. Carnival also has the adults only serenity area with some of the best drinks and tastiest salads. There’s tons of sofas, chaise lounges, chairs, hammocks, etc to relax in there. I usually go there to read a book while dh tans. 
 

But to answer your question about kids and partying, it all depends on when you cruise. So yes there will be tons of kids but only during the summer months and when schools closed for a holiday. And you’ll see more of a party crowd but only during spring break, new year’s, and July 4th. But any other time Carnival is like all the other cruise ships except that the median age is much younger than what you’ll see on Hal or Princess, and there’s lots more activities to do, especially at night. 
 

Over the past 20 years I’ve cruised Norwegian, Hal, Princess, Royal Caribbean, and Carnival. They were all great cruises but Carnival and Royal fit us best. I’m 54 and dh is 62. We both agree we aren’t ready for Hal or Princess yet. Maybe someday when we get older and slow down a bit. But for now we are loving what Carnival is offering. It sounds like you’re looking for a little bit of adventure but afraid because of the partying rumors. Could I suggest something? Try one of the Carnival Mardi Gras class of ships like the Mardi Gras, the Celebration, or the Jubilee. They have top notch restaurants like Emeril’s Cajun (Emeril Lagasse), Rudy’s Seagrill (Rudy Sodamin), Bonsai Teppanyaki (food is cooked in front of you by a chef) and Guy Fieri has 2 great restaurants there too that you’ll love. There’s a great roller coaster on board, you can sign up for cooking classes (they even teach how to bbq and smoke meats if your husband is interested), there’s a mini golf, and a theater too. And if you’re like me you’ll love the live interactive game shows in the main theater like Deal or No Deal and Family Feud. They’re so much fun. Just be sure to book your cruise off season, no summer months or holidays.  Good luck I hope this helps. 
 

 

[ToyFoxFan]

Thanks everyone for the input!I think I might try Carnival

[Prometheus1]

Have cruised both Princess and Carnival. First i think if Booking Carnival go when school is in session - fewer kids, dont go on Spring break.

Agree that the shorter cruises are a little more rowdy. I find Princess food to be better in general but i have had some really good meals on Carnival as well. The serenity area on Carnival is nice but usually very crowded and finding a place out of the sun can be difficult. If it is an option- Royal Caribbean is also nice but can be as expensive as Princess if going on the newer ships

. I would say Princess is more sedate, Carnival more lively. After 10p, Princess ships are pretty quiet, after 10p on Carnival there is still much activity. 

I dont go to shows, will go to Casino (Princess has non-smoking nights whereas Carnival allows smoking all the time in casino although there are non smoking sections) usually in bed early. Im in my 50's and DH is late 40's. He likes Princess but will not sail on Carnival.

As mentioned on one of the other posts, both lines have their goods and not so good.

I will continue to cruise both Princess and Carnival and have gone on a few Royal Caribbeans (which i also like)

Trying Celebrity in 2024. Im sure you will enjoy which ever you choose.

Also- i havent been on Princess since COVID so things may have changed but from what i have read on other posts, all of the cruiselines have supply issues, staffing issues etc..

 

I leave next  week for a 14 day Carnival cruise and I myself am curious as to how different it may be from the usual weeklong, caribbean Carnival cruise.

 

[georgiacat]

Go for it!  You don't know what you might be missing.  If you don't like the first one, change ships/timing/cruise lines.  We are in our early 70's.  We have sailed mostly Princess, but we did try Carnival about 10 years ago.  In June we completed an Alaskan cruisetour with Princess.  Then we did a southern Caribbean cruise on the Carnival Horizon in September.  As we approached the Horizon, I could hear my husband behind me jumping up and down with joy (virtually):  Oh goody, they have waterslides!  This in spite of being told by his doctor in 2020 (after rotator cuff surgery) to give up waterslides.  He went down both watersides twice and rode the SkyRide twice.

 

We enjoyed the Havana area of Horizon and Vista.  The pool area is less crowded and we can always find a seat (in the shade, but close to the pool).

 

We are not party animals; we don't drink or do casinos.  We do enjoy relaxing and finding a quiet corner to read (and people watch).

[silverturtle]

We are in our 60's. We've cruised on carnival and NCL, we like both but can get more for our money on carnival. We don't mind the kids, it reminds us that we are alive!! We don't drink a lot but we still enjoy setting in the bar or the casino. We were on one ship that every one was in bed by 9:00/10:00... how boring! Liked the food on NCL more, but we like the steakhouses on carnival more than the buffet. We've never seen a fight on a cruise, but I'm sure that'll happen eventually.  Guess it's what you want out of a vacation/cruise or what you make it. And Happy 40th Anniversary to you both!!!

[dan4182]

On 10/28/2022 at 7:14 AM, ToyFoxFan said:

WE are mid 60's and have been on 3 Princess cruises. They all have been wonderful but expensive and a little stuffy lol. I have heard Carnival has a lot of kids and heavy partying.What are the differences for those of you that have cruised on both. Planning 40 yr anniversary probably at least 8 day. Thank you

 

My Wife and I have sailed quite a few times on Carnival and once to Alaska on the Royal Princess.

 

The atmosphere/vibe on Carnival is more to our liking. We try to avoid the spring break period and right after and right before schools end/begin.

 

Our favorite months are February and October. We isually cruise out of Galveston but have also cruised on the Mardi Gras out of Port Canaveral.

 

We are  booked on the Celebration out of Miami for October of 2023.

 

Both lines have their plusses and minuses.

 

We especially enjoy Carnival’s comedy clubs.

 

You really can’t go wrong,pick the line and destination that fit’s your personalities the best.

 

Happy anniversary!