Newbie to Princess converting from Carnival

[jack109]

Just a quick question...I have seen alot of postings about CB, and I have looked on Princesses site and can't find a ship with CB as initials. Can someone enlighten me? Also I have tried to do a search on the ship, Caribbean Princess, to get info on her, but for some reason my search feature won't work on that name. Any info on her would be appreciated. We just came off of Carnival's Glory, our first cruise and saw her docked and loved her look. Would like to book her for next year. Any help would be appreciated.

 

Kim

[cruiser07]

CB = Caribbean Princess

 

We are booked to sail the CB in Nov. so not much help here!

[finsgirl]

There is a site called cruisingthecaribbeanprincess (have to add the .com of course) that has a TON of info about the ship. I didn't post the site as a whole link because I didn't want to risk breaking any of the CC rules.

[wwinfl91]

Don't feel bad about asking about what ship the CB was. I would like to know who thought that one up but it obviously is used on the boards all the time.

 

We also haven't sailed on the CB but have been on the Golden which is also an older Grand class ship. Although they are big ships they are well arranged and easy to get used to.

 

Have a great next cruise.

[MissKMM]

I've been on this ship and I'm going on it again Sept 30th. It's a beauty, and very large. I've also been on the Grand Princess. Both are beautiful ships. I think you would have a wonderful time if you booked a cruise. There is so much to do, or you can just "park it" near the pool and enjoy a cocktail

[spyro1952]

IMHO, you will probably have a totally different experience on Princess. A much different group of passengers as opposed to Carnival. A good analogy is Wal-Mart vs Macy's or Nordstrom's. Although there are all age groups, the mantra is not drink until you drop as on most Carnival ships. Most Princess passengers are return passengers as most Princess cruisers are very loyal to the line.

I've been on the Caribbean Princess several times and really enjoy it. Our service has always been great and the food is very good, although there are a few menu nights that I don't care for.

Although the ship is large, it's very easy to learn. I also like the MUTS (Movies Under the Stars). There are many options for swimming if you don't want a lot of noise as they have adult only pools and spas which I really like.

I think you will become a "convert" .

[RevSmith]

As other posters have already told you CB is Caribbean Princess...I personally think it is a great ship. Although it is one of the larger Princess ships and it has a lot of people on board, it also has a great deal of things for people to do. The major thing that I like is the sea food buffet...if you book look for that. They also have MUTS movies under the stars...that can be a blast if you are a night owl. The problems are the crowds, especially during sea days and the last night is unreal after dinner...so if you keep those things in mind and avoid the packs of people in the public areas during pike times you can have a great cruise on this ship...I know I have...and more than once.

[katier825]

Just a quick question...I have seen alot of postings about CB, and I have looked on Princesses site and can't find a ship with CB as initials. Can someone enlighten me? Also I have tried to do a search on the ship, Caribbean Princess, to get info on her, but for some reason my search feature won't work on that name. Any info on her would be appreciated. We just came off of Carnival's Glory, our first cruise and saw her docked and loved her look. Would like to book her for next year. Any help would be appreciated.

 

Kim

 

We were on the Glory 2x (once by choice, once as last resort after Start Princess fire). Will be on Caribbean Princess in Nov. Can't wait to get back on Princess! I thought the Glory was very ugly. Princess' ships are generally pastels, glass, chrome/brass, etc. Not that decor "makes" the cruise, but I always feel more relaxed on Princess. It is usually a quieter crowd than Carnival. I have found them to be pretty consistent in service, food, entertainment. Will probably always be my favorite! :)

 

Hope you have a great cruise!

[jack109]

In all fairness to Carnival, I never saw the reported drunken, unruley passengers that most have reported, or even children being disruptive. Most everyone was polite and courteous. But, I believe, being older, we are 44, and having travelled quite a bit, we just expect something more. I wouldn't hesitate to take my teenagers on a Carnival cruise, because I think it is more geared for that crowd, or for families, but being older we want more. I am looking forward to more research and thank you all for your answers.

 

Kim

[rebeccalouise]

Carnival and NCL are pretty much the same to me. I have sailed them both and they have their strengths and weaknesses. I had fun on both these lines and think that they are great for budget conscious, younger cruisers. The kids program was good on Carnival. The food was excellent and the service was great in my opinion. The staterooms were large by cruise ship standards. The cabin steward was excellent and I enjoyed the towels animals on the beds. Very friendly nice experience. The Ship itself was glitzy, mirrory, garish- like I expected but the price was right and the cruise was fun (we paid $400 per person for a 4-night cruise). NCL is also very fun and the crew and food were great.

I prefer Celebrity out of all the lines because of the esthetics, service and food but now that I am 41- I can afford to pay the Celebrity price tag.

[S.S.Oceanlover]

Just a quick question...I have seen alot of postings about CB, and I have looked on Princesses site and can't find a ship with CB as initials. Can someone enlighten me? Also I have tried to do a search on the ship, Caribbean Princess, to get info on her, but for some reason my search feature won't work on that name. Any info on her would be appreciated. We just came off of Carnival's Glory, our first cruise and saw her docked and loved her look. Would like to book her for next year. Any help would be appreciated.

 

Kim

 

Kim,

You can click on the graphic in my signature to go to the website someone posted without the .com.

 

IMHO, you will probably have a totally different experience on Princess. A much different group of passengers as opposed to Carnival. A good analogy is Wal-Mart vs Macy's or Nordstrom's. Although there are all age groups, the mantra is not drink until you drop as on most Carnival ships.

 

While I agree Princess is a bit more upscale and more sedate than Carnival, your comment about drink until you drop is nonsense. What do you base this comment on, experience or hearsay?

 

Bill

[spyro1952]

Experience - and it only takes 1 trip. I also live in S. Fl. so I am very familiar with who Carnival markets their products to. I have also been on enough cruises, being in port with Carnival ships, seeing what comes off their gangways.

[LynneL]

I also live in S. Fl. so I am very familiar with who Carnival markets their products to. I have also been on enough cruises, being in port with Carnival ships, seeing what comes off their gangways.

 

 

A little perplexed by this. Are S. Floridians considered lower class people that would not be desirable to travel with?

[S.S.Oceanlover]

Experience - and it only takes 1 trip. I also live in S. Fl. so I am very familiar with who Carnival markets their products to. I have also been on enough cruises, being in port with Carnival ships, seeing what comes off their gangways.

 

I guess I must have turned a blind eye when I cruised with them. 7 or 8 cruises with them I doubt I would go back if it was like you say. My families bar bill is usually less than $100 so I'm not one of these party til you drop people and would be put up with this type of behavior.

 

I will say the one 3 day cruise I took was like you describe. I guess I must be one of those people they are marketing too.:confused:

 

Bill

[SUN TURNIP]

Have Been On The Caribbean Princess Before And Will Be On Her Again In One Week From Today!!! I Cant Wait!!! She Is A Great Ship

[CruiseFever]

To the OP: I can only relay my personal experience. It only took one Princess cruise to sell me. It took a couple to sell my kids.

 

We still like Carnival and do sail with them but there's absolutely no doubt about who runs the better ship: Princess

 

The short cruises on Carnival do indeed draw first-timers (the "not sure if they'll like it" bunch) and locals (party/easy getaway cruise) which can be good or bad depending on how aware one is of fellow passengers or how vocal/present/obnoxious they are.

 

On our first family cruise, on Carnival's Fascination, pre-cruise my concern was not being bored by all the old people I imagined would be there. About 2 hours into the sailing the whole family agreed it was the best vacation ever and we were hooked.

 

I just have GOT to give Carnival credit for bringing a LOT of people into the world of cruising..however they do it and for whatever reason people sail with them.

 

But Princess...oh my...they're just great!

 

I've been trying as many different lines and ships as I can lately, just for the experience. Many Royal Caribbean ships, Many Carnival ships, some NCL ships, Disney Cruise line, etc.....Princess still is the standard to beat and most don't. Not that those other lines don't offer a fabulous cruise vacation, they do and I book them every day...but Princess, oh my, they're the best

 

Good Choice!

[Umbarger]

I prefer Carnival and so does my 69 year old mother.........and we don't even drink! :eek: Don't really like the misbehaving kids is all.

 

Princess is nice, however, be prepared to be nickeled and dimed to death. Alot of things included on Carnival is additional on Princess.

 

Variety is the spice of life so try all the different cruise lines. :D

[chloealexandra]

I prefer Carnival and so does my 69 year old mother.........and we don't even drink! :eek: Don't really like the misbehaving kids is all.

 

Princess is nice, however, be prepared to be nickeled and dimed to death. Alot of things included on Carnival is additional on Princess.

 

Variety is the spice of life so try all the different cruise lines. :D

 

Hi! I too am going on my first Princess cruise (from Carnival) and can you let me know what is extra? It ended up being that we needed to switch ports and ended up on a Princess (which was almost $300 cheaper than the one booked) so we're happy, just not sure what exactly to expect! Thanks!

Chloe

[CrusinAgain]

I really like the Carnival cabins better than Princess since with Carnival you get a sofa for the same price as a Princess cabin plus the bathroom is larger on Carnival. Carnival also has the dinner menu on TV and your account on TV.

 

Food about the same quality but no entertainment during dinner on Princess ships.

 

You do get the MUTS on the CB but you do also on Carnival's Liberty ship.

 

Service was great on both, however our steward was better on Carnival.

 

Both have self-serve laundry mats which is more desirable now due to weight restrictions for airlines and carry-on restrictions.

 

Can't go wrong on either one.

 

We stick to those two cruiselines and are very happy.

[CrusinAgain]

Experience - and it only takes 1 trip. I also live in S. Fl. so I am very familiar with who Carnival markets their products to. I have also been on enough cruises, being in port with Carnival ships, seeing what comes off their gangways.

 

If you haven't been on a 7 day cruise with Carnival, there is no comparison and one shouldn't try to compare a short cruise of Carnival with Princess. The short trips on any of the cruiselines are more for quick getaway party cruises. There are a variety of people which is great on your 7 day cruises.

 

Sorry you are missing out on a great cruiseline but guess that leaves another cabin available for us to choose from. I have never been on a Carnival ship that doesn't sail full.

[thechandlers99]

My husband and I just took our 1st Princess cruise aboard the CB in July and it was wonderful. We had only ever sailed on Carnival in the past but like the OP, we saw the CB docked and loved the way she looked so we decided to give her a try. I am so glad I did. While I really enjoy a Carnival cruise, this ship was top notch! Here is a list of what I like about each:

 

Princess

~Anytime Dining

~Many different pools (4 on the CB, 2 adult, 2 family)

~Fresh water pools

~No crowded feeling

~Caribe deck balconies

 

Carnival

~Free lemonade, fruit punch and ice cream

~Grand Atriums

~Piano Bar

~Larger rooms...all balcony cabins have a sofa

~Food is excellent

 

To me, the positives of Princess are enough to make me cruise with them again. We put down a deposit for a future cruise while onboard. However, I will cruise again with Carnival...no doubt!

 

To the person who said that Carnival is full of "drink til you drop" people or "Wal-mart cruisers," I am not sure which ship you are on but I have never experienced this. I have been on 3 Carinval cruises and everyone has been very nice and polite, just having a good time!

 

I hope the OP enjoys his/her 1st Princess cruise! The CB is a wonderful ship and I will certainly sail on her again!

[tvaud]

Ok, I’ve sailed on Princess, Carnival and NCL as well as a few others. My least favorite cruises were on Carnival. The service, food and décor are far inferior to Princess. I have been shoved aside by a deck steward so he could go down the stairs before me. The dining room waiters never pull out a chair for a female passenger. Once to prove a point, I stood at my table to see how long it would take for a waiter to seat me. I stood there for about ten minutes until the Maitre d’ saw me and ran over to seat me. He said into my ear, “You’ve sailed before.” I said, “Yes, many times.” He came over to seat me for the remainder of the cruise. The waiters never caught on. The worst was when my cabin steward cornered me one day in the cabin and propositioned me. I politely asked him to leave my cabin and immediately reported him to the purser’s desk. By the time I returned to my cabin, another steward, the head cabin steward from another deck, had been assigned to us. The last day of the cruise, the original steward came to the cabin to apologize to me. The food was substandard, in my opinion. The dishes were bland and seemed overproduced as opposed to other ships that I had sailed. As for the décor of the ship, it was all neon and plastic. It had none of the wood, brass and glass of the grander ships afloat. Many of the passengers were clueless to cruising and didn’t know what to expect. Many of the younger ones, and at the time I was about their age, would stay up all night and get drunk…and sick. I did not partake. It was a much rowdier crowd. I always say that people who don’t know any better, cruise Carnival. Once they try another line, they have something to compare it with and move on. When someone asks, I say that Carnival is the “Yugo” of cruise lines. The only reason why I went on a second Carnival cruise was that my group of friends at the time wanted to go on that ship and I was overruled. Basically, I went kicking and screaming. My favorite cruise line was Sitmar. The food, service and ambiance were the best of everything. I will always miss that line.

[thelemalove93]

Hello my husband recently returned from a Carnival cruise, and it wasn't our cup of tea, not adult pools and way too many kids. We talked to some other couples on the boat and were really happy with what they said about Princess, so we are now looking to book our first Princess cruise.

 

A few questions though....

1) Any reccomendations on where to book it through, or if it is just better to book it through princess. We want at least an Ocean view room. On the obstructed view catagories, how obstructed are they, and if we book a guarantee, what is the chance of getting an upgrade?

 

2) How many midnight buffets are there? We were lied to on carnival and really upset when we found out there were only two?

 

3) For the traditional versus the anytime dining are the menues the same?

 

4) Is there an adult pool (Carribean Princess) and if so is it enforced

 

Any other tips, etc would be appreciated....

[spyro1952]

Precisely my point: I do not want to be seated at my table for dinner on a formal night with table mates wearing jeans and a T shirt; with children who do not know how to use a fork or play gameboy throughout the meal; inappropriate remarks and actions by Carnival crew must be common place as I have experienced it as well as other female friends who were "hooked" by CCL shorter cruises and lower prices.

If free fruit punch, ice cream and lemonade is a draw, I'm safe. As for being nickeled and dimed by Princess; I am in full control of my account - I am not forced to purchase anything that I do not want or absolutely need. I can purchase all the sodas I need for a cruise one block from the port and bring them on board: no questions asked. I do not want to be herded on to a tender with 2500 other people who think they need to be first. I do not need to go to a safety drill and sit in a room with 200 others who are already drinking heavily and the ship hasn't left the port, oblivious to the information that is being relayed.

Like OP's said, if neon and plastic are your choice, then you will enjoy a CCL cruise.

 

 

Ok, I’ve sailed on Princess, Carnival and NCL as well as a few others. My least favorite cruises were on Carnival. The service, food and décor are far inferior to Princess. I have been shoved aside by a deck steward so he could go down the stairs before me. The dining room waiters never pull out a chair for a female passenger. Once to prove a point, I stood at my table to see how long it would take for a waiter to seat me. I stood there for about ten minutes until the Maitre d’ saw me and ran over to seat me. He said into my ear, “You’ve sailed before.” I said, “Yes, many times.” He came over to seat me for the remainder of the cruise. The waiters never caught on. The worst was when my cabin steward cornered me one day in the cabin and propositioned me. I politely asked him to leave my cabin and immediately reported him to the purser’s desk. By the time I returned to my cabin, another steward, the head cabin steward from another deck, had been assigned to us. The last day of the cruise, the original steward came to the cabin to apologize to me. The food was substandard, in my opinion. The dishes were bland and seemed overproduced as opposed to other ships that I had sailed. As for the décor of the ship, it was all neon and plastic. It had none of the wood, brass and glass of the grander ships afloat. Many of the passengers were clueless to cruising and didn’t know what to expect. Many of the younger ones, and at the time I was about their age, would stay up all night and get drunk…and sick. I did not partake. It was a much rowdier crowd. I always say that people who don’t know any better, cruise Carnival. Once they try another line, they have something to compare it with and move on. When someone asks, I say that Carnival is the “Yugo” of cruise lines. The only reason why I went on a second Carnival cruise was that my group of friends at the time wanted to go on that ship and I was overruled. Basically, I went kicking and screaming. My favorite cruise line was Sitmar. The food, service and ambiance were the best of everything. I will always miss that line.

[spyro1952]

1. Like anything else, you should "shop". Sometimes you can get the best deals at Princess, other times you can get a better deal from your TA. The bigger the TA agency, the more they can discount your individual booking. We always used a small independent TA but found out we do better booking while on board, then transferring the booking to a TA from a larger agency and get an even better final price. You obviously can't do that with cruise #1.

2. Midnight buffets are not what they used to be on Princess but you can go up to the buffet late at night and get sandwiches, dessert, crackers, cheese,etc. The buffet is open 24 hours but at 3 am it's usually coffee and pastry.

3. Having done both personal choice and traditional seating, I prefer the latter. The menus are exactly the same. The only difference I've found is that there is no baked Alaska parade (last night on board) in PC dr's because passengers are always coming in and out and not eating dessert at the same time. (I love baked Alaska)

4. I love the CB. I highly recommend it. I did a back to back in May and the service was the best I've ever had on a Princess ship (Elite members: Mom has over 50 cruiuses on Princess alone).

 

5. The adults only pool rules on the CB are strictly enforced. They now have Youth Security Officers on all Princess ships that walk the ship 24/7 for just such instances. This has really cut down on the out of control kids, especially on cruises during the summer and holidays were you typically see this behavior.

Hope this helps.

 

 

 

 

Hello my husband recently returned from a Carnival cruise, and it wasn't our cup of tea, not adult pools and way too many kids. We talked to some other couples on the boat and were really happy with what they said about Princess, so we are now looking to book our first Princess cruise.

 

A few questions though....

1) Any reccomendations on where to book it through, or if it is just better to book it through princess. We want at least an Ocean view room. On the obstructed view catagories, how obstructed are they, and if we book a guarantee, what is the chance of getting an upgrade?

 

2) How many midnight buffets are there? We were lied to on carnival and really upset when we found out there were only two?

 

3) For the traditional versus the anytime dining are the menues the same?

 

4) Is there an adult pool (Carribean Princess) and if so is it enforced

 

Any other tips, etc would be appreciated....