Princess vs Carnival.

[sad549s]

Thinking of booking a cruise.  Which is better and why?

[john91498]

I prefer carnival, just my observation, but there seems to be significantly more elderly people on Princess than Carnival.

[1025cruise]

Better is subjective. Each line offers a different experience, some like one over the other and vice versa.

[groundloop]

44 minutes ago, john91498 said:

I prefer carnival, just my observation, but there seems to be significantly more elderly people on Princess than Carnival.

 

I suppose a lot of people would consider me to be "elderly".
 

Can you be more specific about the differences between Carnival and Princess. I haven't been on a Princess ship yet but am considering it.

[CruiseAdict218]

Sailed on Princess for a few years in between my Carnival cruises. The crowd is older but there was still plenty of fun and activities to be found; ship probably gets quiet a bit earlier than usual if anything. Food was pretty good but I think they reworked their menu at some point and took away some of the classics that myself and my family enjoyed. 

 

With that said though, I haven't sailed on them post-covid or since they adapted medallion service across their entire fleet. Enjoy their Grand Class ships, Royal Class wasn't bad but a tad overcrowded but that's subjective of course. Either way, its a great line if you choose to sail with them. 

[john91498]

1 hour ago, groundloop said:

 

I suppose a lot of people would consider me to be "elderly".
 

Can you be more specific about the differences between Carnival and Princess. I haven't been on a Princess ship yet but am considering it.

 

To be honest, I don't find the lines all that different from each other. The main reason we sail Carnival is because of my kids. They love the kids programs, Water Works, Sky Zone, etc. My kids hated Celebrity, NCL, HAL and Princess.

 

With that said, I enjoy meeting new people and connecting on a certain level. That's hard to do that when the majority of the passengers are much older than us.

[klfrodo]

Mercedes vs Kia

Both have tires, engines, steering wheel, seats, & entertainment. Both will get you from point A to point B.

One costs a lot more than the other.

[Luckysll]

I have only done one cruise on Princess, but have another booked for January 2024. I found Princess “quieter” than Carnival - no constant loud announcements, etc.  Loved the International Cafe on Princess.  Room on Princess seemed smaller than Carnival, but I cruise solo, so that wasn’t a big problem for me.  

[Butterbean1000]

2 hours ago, john91498 said:

I prefer carnival, just my observation, but there seems to be significantly more elderly people on Princess than Carnival.

I love how people think being "elderly " is contagious or something to avoid and aren't capable of having fun. Do you realize how many "elderly " people are on this board and how many people you insulted?

Edited November 29, 2023 by Butterbean1000

[john91498]

1 hour ago, Butterbean1000 said:

I love how people think being "elderly " is contagious or something to avoid and aren't capable of having fun. Do you realize how many "elderly " people are on this board and how many people you insulted?

 

Where did I say "contagious or something to be avoided?" Or, "aren't capable of having fun?"

 

You said that, not me.

 

I don't really relate to some people much older than me. Just like I can't really relate to my kids. 

[Bostonjetset]

Honestly I prefer Princess as I like their aesthetic more. Their ships are more elegant and have a more neutral color palate (think elegant hotel rather than the inside of a pinball machine). They tend to be quieter as well with less of a party atmosphere. That said, my next cruise is with Carnival as they had the best itinerary for what I wanted to do and that’s my primary reason for cruising. 

[Illbcruzn4life]

2 hours ago, Butterbean1000 said:

I love how people think being "elderly " is contagious or something to avoid and aren't capable of having fun. Do you realize how many "elderly " people are on this board and how many people you insulted?

I guess you could consider me elderly but I for one wasn't insulted.

[DallasGuy75219]

All other things equal, Princess for me. Carnival has just cut too much from every facet of the cruise experience, and its low prices seem to attract an increasingly uncouth and ill-mannered demographic that I don't care to be around. 

[Butterbean1000]

6 hours ago, Illbcruzn4life said:

I guess you could consider me elderly but I for one wasn't insulted.

I hate it when others 'speak' for me.  I just committed this offense.  I guess I'm hyper sensitive lately. 

[Mbcruiser704]

I’ve recently sailed both and both have their pros and cons depending what you are looking for.  My upcoming cruise with my 24 year old son?  Carnival for the better nightlife/party atmosphere.  A cruise with older kids?  Carnival for the water parks, etc.  Want a quieter cruise?  Princess. Younger kids would be ok on a newer Princess ship with a splash pad.  Princess.  I loved the medallion and tbh thought the service on Princess was better IF you go with plus or premium (room service, food delivery to your location, alcohol included in room service).  But I did find the overall vibe to be slightly older with less of a night life.

Edited November 29, 2023 by Mbcruiser704

[Butterbean1000]

7 hours ago, john91498 said:

 

Where did I say "contagious or something to be avoided?" Or, "aren't capable of having fun?"

 

You said that, not me.

 

I don't really relate to some people much older than me. Just like I can't really relate to my kids. 

You're correct, I said it, you didn't.  For some reason your comment just hit me the wrong way.  There is nothing wrong with wanting to be around being with people closer to your age. Then old adage is true, say it, forget it. Write it, regret it.  Anyway,  sorry.

Edited November 29, 2023 by Butterbean1000

[Honolulu Blue]

11 hours ago, sad549s said:

Thinking of booking a cruise.  Which is better and why?

I find them of similar value for my needs and wants.  Here's some of my thinking on it; maybe it will be of help to you or someone else:

 

• Princess medallions are nice (if a bit creepy), but the app attached to it is... quirky.  Carnival's app isn't as ambitious, but what it does it does well, IMHO.
• Princess serves a serviceable burger, but Guy's and its fries are still better
• Princess has had 80s themed cruises in the past. I've been on two of them; they're done quite well and I thoroughly enjoyed them.  No sign they're going to repeat these any time soon, sadly. ☹️Carnival has spots of 80s themes in their trivia, background music, shows, even a dedicated day on their longest cruises.
• Princess has better food in their buffet, but they sometimes do silly things that make me enjoy the experience less than I should
• Carnival has a more fun environment
• Princess has more older passengers, though less than you might think on its 80s-themed cruises
• Princess has more experienced cruisers and travelers
• More kids on Carnival

[pinkwhitney]

Check out the TxTeach review from last week on Princess if you have some free time. He has done a handful of Princess as well as Carnival and the last page of this review has a couple comparisons between the two via a video.

 

 

[Saint Greg]

I think Princess is better overall. Whether or not it’s worth the price is what you have to decide. When I went a couple weeks ago it was cheaper than carnival. Their August Alaska cruises were also cheaper than carnival so it’s worth price checking.
 

I like the Princess plus bundle. I think I paid less for that than I would have the drink package on carnival but I got drinks, Wi-Fi, gratuities, medallion shipped (which saves probably 30 mins on embarkation), two casual dining.

 

They had the 15 drink limit but I could get two at a time and I could order drinks anywhere on the ship. 8-12 mins were my delivery times. I stocked up my fridge with beer on port days to drink on sea days.

 

They had twice a day steward service and lunch in the MDR.

 

i was able to get a cheap upgrade to a balcony. 20+ carnival cruises and I got that once.

 

For entertainment I like the comedy on Carnival

better…and quest…But everything else goes to Princess. I felt like I was on a carnival journeys cruise with everything that was offered. 
 

The first production show wasn’t anything special but the last one was. The singers, costumes, sets all higher quality. One singer they referred to as their “guest soprano” was probably opera quality. The CD mentioned the costumes in her Q&A..some really expensive crystals in them.

 

They had fly on acts most nights. A magician. An Elvis impersonator. A Jerry Lee Lewis impersonator.
 

Sea day activities reminded me of things you’d maybe see on a journey or not at all. Culinary demonstrations. One that ended in a galley tour. A navigation class by the 2nd officer. CD Q&A included a backstage tour in the theater.

 

They had several officers vs guests competitions throughout the week. Kind of surprises me Carnival doesn’t have that. 

They had indoor and outdoor movies. Probably six movies a day.

 

They don’t have the espn channels or as many football games as carnival does. 

 

As for food. They have lunch in the MDR which i like. I’m not a buffet person but it looked like they had more options. I like their pizza better.  They don’t have as many free casual lunch options as carnival does. I liked carnival’s breakfast better. MDR dinner I think is about the same. Steakhouse in thought was about the same. 

 

Chef’s table I thought was more fancy on Princess. It’s a really big deal to them. Everyone was asking me about it the next day (hostess, waiter, restaurant manager). But it was more of an overall experience on Carnival. With a more thorough galley tour, culinary demonstration, magician.

 

I loved that the medallion opened my door when I approached it. Very helpful when your hands are full. Other than that the medallion didn’t do much for me. You don’t sign for drinks…but you don’t on NCL either. I think it’s a carnival thing.
 

The big screens in all of the elevator lobbies function as kiosks with the medallion. You can do all of your business on them if you don’t want to carry a phone around.

 

You have to watch your account closely on Princess because it seems like everyone gets charged

for things they shouldn’t.

 

Little things that I feel like all the other cruise lines do that carnival doesn’t like passing out towels as you go ashore. Offering Face cloths when you come back.

 

My least favorite thing on Princess was probably that they had no place for kids to go other than their club. No Waterpark. No arcade. The basketball court was setup for pickle ball 24/7. Instead of mini golf course they had more of a putting green. So what happens with all of the kids on a Sea day is they make that fancy fountain in the middle of lido into a splash pad. It’s like moving water works into the middle of lido deck. Its chaos. I think one of the newer ships with a water park will probably be better.

 

Edited November 29, 2023 by Saint Greg

[jimbo5544]

1 minute ago, Saint Greg said:

I think Princess is better overall. Whether or not it’s worth the price is what you have to decide. When I went a couple weeks ago it was cheaper than carnival. Their August Alaska cruises were also cheaper than carnival so it’s worth price checking.
 

I like the Princess plus bundle. I think I paid less for that than I would have the drink package on carnival but I got drinks, Wi-Fi, gratuities, medallion shipped (which saves probably 30 mins on embarkation), two casual dining.

 

They had the 15 drink limit but I could get two at a time and I could order drinks anywhere on the ship. 8-12 mins were my delivery times. I stocked up my fridge with beer on port days to drink on sea days.

 

They had twice a day steward service and lunch in the MDR.

 

i was able to get a cheap upgrade to a balcony. 20+ carnival cruises and I got that once.

 

For entertainment I like the comedy on Carnival

better…and quest…But everything else goes to Princess. I felt like I was on a carnival journeys cruise with everything that was offered. 
 

The first production show wasn’t anything special but the last one was. The singers, costumes, sets all higher quality. One singer they referred to as their “guest soprano” was probably opera quality. The CD mentioned the costumes in her Q&A..some really expensive crystals in them.

 

They had fly on acts most nights. A magician. An Elvis impersonator. A Jerry Lee Lewis impersonator.
 

Sea day activities reminded me of things you’d maybe see on a journey or not at all. Culinary demonstrations. One that ended in a galley tour. A navigation class by the 2nd officer. CD Q&A included a backstage tour in the theater.

 

They had several officers vs guests competitions throughout the week. Kind of surprises me Carnival doesn’t have that. 

They had indoor and outdoor movies. Probably six movies a day.

 

They don’t have the espn channels or as many football games as carnival does. 

 

As for food. They have lunch in the MDR which i like. I’m not a buffet person but it looked like they had more options. I like their pizza better.  They don’t have as many free casual lunch options as carnival does. I liked carnival’s breakfast better. MDR dinner I think is about the same. Steakhouse in thought was about the same. 

 

Chef’s table I thought was more fancy on Princess. It’s a really big deal to them. Everyone was asking me about it the next day (hostess, waiter, restaurant manager). But it was more of an overall experience on Carnival. With a more thorough galley tour, culinary demonstration, magician.

 

I loved that the medallion opened my door when I approached it. Very helpful when your hands are full. Other than that the medallion didn’t do much for me. You don’t sign for drinks…but you don’t on NCL either. I think it’s a carnival thing.
 

The big screens in all of the elevator lobbies function as kiosks with the medallion. You can do all of your business on them if you don’t want to carry a phone around.

 

You have to watch your account closely on Princess because it seems like everyone gets charged

for things they shouldn’t.

 

Little things that I feel like all the other cruise lines do that carnival doesn’t like passing out towels as you go ashore. Offering Face cloths when you come back.

 

My least favorite thing on Princess was probably that they had no place for kids to go other than their club. No Waterpark. No arcade. The basketball court was setup for pickle ball 24/7. Instead of mini golf course they had more of a putting green. So what happens with all of the kids on a Sea day is they make that fancy fountain in the middle of lido into a splash pad. It’s like moving water works into the middle of lido deck. Its chaos. I think one of the newer ships with a water park will probably be better.

 

Interesting analogy, well thought out.  While we have been on several Princess ships, we have never sailed them.  They are on the stove top, but not front burner…yet.  Love the pickle ball set up.

[TxTeach79]

1 hour ago, pinkwhitney said:

Check out the TxTeach review from last week on Princess if you have some free time. He has done a handful of Princess as well as Carnival and the last page of this review has a couple comparisons between the two via a video.

 

 

 

Thanks for sharing! I really enjoy both and have sailed (and will continue to sail) with both many times, they just have little differences here and there worth considering. It all depends on what you're looking for on that specific vacation. Thanks again, @pinkwhitney!

[ledges1]

12 hours ago, groundloop said:

 

I suppose a lot of people would consider me to be "elderly".
 

Can you be more specific about the differences between Carnival and Princess. I haven't been on a Princess ship yet but am considering it.

I cruised with my son and daughter (30s) prior to COVID on Carnival. My son called it many things in reference to the age of the cruisers. Many of you would be offended. If Princess Cruise is older, count me out.

[TravelGirlinDallas]

11 hours ago, Bostonjetset said:

Honestly I prefer Princess as I like their aesthetic more. Their ships are more elegant and have a more neutral color palate (think elegant hotel rather than the inside of a pinball machine). They tend to be quieter as well with less of a party atmosphere.

 

I agree with this. We have sailed both Princess and Carnival this year. The Princess ship was much cleaner overall. The Carnival ship (Breeze, so not even one of the oldest ones) was in shabbier shape than it should have been for its age and there were lots of stains/trash/food residue.

 

We are not elderly and had a great time on Princess. Our 13yo son said it was his favorite cruise ever. 

[Saint Greg]

2 hours ago, Saint Greg said:

I think Princess is better overall. Whether or not it’s worth the price is what you have to decide. When I went a couple weeks ago it was cheaper than carnival. Their August Alaska cruises were also cheaper than carnival so it’s worth price checking.
 

I like the Princess plus bundle. I think I paid less for that than I would have the drink package on carnival but I got drinks, Wi-Fi, gratuities, medallion shipped (which saves probably 30 mins on embarkation), two casual dining.

 

They had the 15 drink limit but I could get two at a time and I could order drinks anywhere on the ship. 8-12 mins were my delivery times. I stocked up my fridge with beer on port days to drink on sea days.

 

They had twice a day steward service and lunch in the MDR.

 

i was able to get a cheap upgrade to a balcony. 20+ carnival cruises and I got that once.

 

For entertainment I like the comedy on Carnival

better…and quest…But everything else goes to Princess. I felt like I was on a carnival journeys cruise with everything that was offered. 
 

The first production show wasn’t anything special but the last one was. The singers, costumes, sets all higher quality. One singer they referred to as their “guest soprano” was probably opera quality. The CD mentioned the costumes in her Q&A..some really expensive crystals in them.

 

They had fly on acts most nights. A magician. An Elvis impersonator. A Jerry Lee Lewis impersonator.
 

Sea day activities reminded me of things you’d maybe see on a journey or not at all. Culinary demonstrations. One that ended in a galley tour. A navigation class by the 2nd officer. CD Q&A included a backstage tour in the theater.

 

They had several officers vs guests competitions throughout the week. Kind of surprises me Carnival doesn’t have that. 

They had indoor and outdoor movies. Probably six movies a day.

 

They don’t have the espn channels or as many football games as carnival does. 

 

As for food. They have lunch in the MDR which i like. I’m not a buffet person but it looked like they had more options. I like their pizza better.  They don’t have as many free casual lunch options as carnival does. I liked carnival’s breakfast better. MDR dinner I think is about the same. Steakhouse in thought was about the same. 

 

Chef’s table I thought was more fancy on Princess. It’s a really big deal to them. Everyone was asking me about it the next day (hostess, waiter, restaurant manager). But it was more of an overall experience on Carnival. With a more thorough galley tour, culinary demonstration, magician.

 

I loved that the medallion opened my door when I approached it. Very helpful when your hands are full. Other than that the medallion didn’t do much for me. You don’t sign for drinks…but you don’t on NCL either. I think it’s a carnival thing.
 

The big screens in all of the elevator lobbies function as kiosks with the medallion. You can do all of your business on them if you don’t want to carry a phone around.

 

You have to watch your account closely on Princess because it seems like everyone gets charged

for things they shouldn’t.

 

Little things that I feel like all the other cruise lines do that carnival doesn’t like passing out towels as you go ashore. Offering Face cloths when you come back.

 

My least favorite thing on Princess was probably that they had no place for kids to go other than their club. No Waterpark. No arcade. The basketball court was setup for pickle ball 24/7. Instead of mini golf course they had more of a putting green. So what happens with all of the kids on a Sea day is they make that fancy fountain in the middle of lido into a splash pad. It’s like moving water works into the middle of lido deck. Its chaos. I think one of the newer ships with a water park will probably be better.

 

 

Let me add one more thing that I can't get over. Having done NCL and Princess the past few months I can say this thing Carnival has, especially for Sea Day brunch, where 50 people are camped out in front of the dining room and in the stair wells waiting on tables....doesn't happen anywhere else.

 

NCL there was rarely a line. Maybe twice the entire week and I'm talking like maybe five people. If I had to wait at all they would have me sit on a couch in the dining room. And that's five minutes or less. Princess there was never a wait. They had three dining rooms. The dining room I used had two entrances port and starboard. If there was any kind of a line on one side I would walk over to the other and there wouldn't be one at all.

 

I don't know if it's staffing or what because it definitely feels like Carnival has as many tables as Princess and more than NCL.

 

Edited November 29, 2023 by Saint Greg

[Saint Greg]

42 minutes ago, TravelGirlinDallas said:

 

Our 13yo son said it was his favorite cruise ever. 

 

I wouldn't have guessed that since it seems to me like...at least on Regal Princess...they have less stuff for kids. Which ship was it?