Rare nbsjcruiser Posted March 17, 2008 #1 Share Posted March 17, 2008 Hello All, So we've done 4 RCI cruises now and have enjoyed them all. We were thinking about the Carnival Freedom next year but now I'm beginning to wonder if the 7 Day Eastern on the Crown might be a better choice for us. I'm just wondering - for a person used to the Explorer and Radiance class ships of RCI, would I be "at home" on Princess? How would the food and service compare between RCI and Princess? Any and all comments and pointers welcome. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
drummondcreek Posted March 17, 2008 #2 Share Posted March 17, 2008 we went easily from RCI to Princess. Small differences but not huge ones. Not enough to scare you away. I'd say give Princess a try. You can alway return to RCI. RCI to Carnival would be a more dramatic switch. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PescadoAmarillo Posted March 17, 2008 #3 Share Posted March 17, 2008 Princess is very similar to RC. There are some things Princess does better, and some that RC does better. You certainly won't find a Princess ship to compare to a Radiance Class ship...even though the atrium on the new Princess ships look very nice, it's hard to beat those on the Radiance Class ships. And you'll be very underwhelmed by the low ceilings in the Princes dining rooms. But enjoy the freshwater pools and the self serve laundries...except on the Freedom class ships with their freshwater pools, RC doesn't offer them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
criuisingurl079 Posted March 17, 2008 #4 Share Posted March 17, 2008 We also were looking for a change, and went from the Voyager ships in RCCl to Princess, and now we Love Princess! I have tried the new CCl Liberty, and was VERY disappointed, so I would stick with RCCL or Princess! We cruised the Crown for our Honeymoon last year, and just loved it. It was our favorite cruise ship so far, and we are really looking foward to the Emerald. Happy Sails!:D Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
serene56 Posted March 17, 2008 #5 Share Posted March 17, 2008 Princess is very similar to RC. There are some things Princess does better, and some that RC does better. You certainly won't find a Princess ship to compare to a Radiance Class ship...even though the atrium on the new Princess ships look very nice, it's hard to beat those on the Radiance Class ships. And you'll be very underwhelmed by the low ceilings in the Princes dining rooms. But enjoy the freshwater pools and the self serve laundries...except on the Freedom class ships with their freshwater pools, RC doesn't offer them. We went from Carnival to Royal to Carnival to Princess. I found our Princess cruise to be NOTHING like the Voyager of the Sea-- not in food or service. (Heck it does not compare to nothing on our carnival cruise either) We loved the Caribbean Princess-- and at the present time cant see us doing a carnival again for a bit. What I found different-- no free soft servce but on Voyager it was broke or being cleaned when we tried for some. Only thing to drink on Princess was Iced Tea but the soda card was the cheapest I ever seen it to be. (64.00 for both for 7 day cruise-- I paid almost that on a carnival for one) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Teeara Posted March 17, 2008 #6 Share Posted March 17, 2008 Have to admit that my favorite ships are the Voyager class on RCCL. I have found that Princess does not offer as much as RCCL does and I love the Promenade on Voyager class. But Princess has a lovely afternoon tea that is nice. Cabins are comparable to RCCL. I guess it all depends on your itinerary. I'm sailing on Princess again in 8 weeks rather than RCCL simply because Princess goes to Glacier Bay and RCCL does not. Good luck in your decision! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ssantow Posted March 17, 2008 #7 Share Posted March 17, 2008 As you may note by my cruise listing in my sig I have sailed both lines many times and to be honest I prefer the food quality a bit more on Princess. I believe the level of service is a touch better also. As has been noted the fresh water pools on Princess are a plus. You will not find Movies Under The Stars on RCI. Entertainment is more varied but not necessarily better with Princess. While Princess also does not allow you to carry liquor on board they are not as strict as RCI about checking for it. You can also bring wine on board Princess and not at all on RCI. I think you may even find comparable cruises priced slightly less on Princess due to RCI's no discount policy. Having praised Princess you will probably note my next cruise is a Transatlantic with RCI, and yes I did get a great deal. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare Coral Posted March 17, 2008 #8 Share Posted March 17, 2008 Princess is very similar to RC. There are some things Princess does better, and some that RC does better. You certainly won't find a Princess ship to compare to a Radiance Class ship...even though the atrium on the new Princess ships look very nice, it's hard to beat those on the Radiance Class ships. And you'll be very underwhelmed by the low ceilings in the Princes dining rooms. But enjoy the freshwater pools and the self serve laundries...except on the Freedom class ships with their freshwater pools, RC doesn't offer them. I find the Coral and Island Princess very similar to the Radiance class. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ldyandrea Posted March 17, 2008 #9 Share Posted March 17, 2008 I have tried the new CCl Liberty, and was VERY disappointed, so I would stick with RCCL or Princess! Agreed! I've sailed on Carnival, and I didn't find it anywhere near as enjoyable or relaxed as Princess. I also thought the food and service were wayyyy better than on Carnival. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
willysgrandma Posted March 17, 2008 #10 Share Posted March 17, 2008 If you like the larger RCI ships, I would absolutely choose the Crown. The Crown and RCL's Freedom of the Seas are my two favorite ships. Princess is WAY above a Carnival cruise and the Crown is a great ship. I thin the service is better on Princess than RCI. If you like seafood, you probably would like Princess food better than RCL. (I don't, so I preferred RCI"s food). The Crown is similar in many ways to the Freedom class of ships, just a bit more refined. There was a lot of different things to do on the ship itself , better than other lines I've been on. Try the Crown - I think you'll be pleased. Princess is usually less expensive than RCL and I LOVE their itineraries. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WISH84 Posted March 17, 2008 #11 Share Posted March 17, 2008 Hello All, So we've done 4 RCI cruises now and have enjoyed them all. We were thinking about the Carnival Freedom next year but now I'm beginning to wonder if the 7 Day Eastern on the Crown might be a better choice for us. I'm just wondering - for a person used to the Explorer and Radiance class ships of RCI, would I be "at home" on Princess? How would the food and service compare between RCI and Princess? Any and all comments and pointers welcome. My wife and I along with another couple were scheduled to sail on the January 12th sailing of the Freedom and had booked the trip almost a full year in advance. Then I started reading some reviews on the ship and started to have second thoughts. Finally my TA recommended the Caribbean Princess and after some more investigation, we jumped from the Freedom to the CP and I can tell you it was the best decision we ever made. We are sold on Princess and already have next years booked. As a side note: While in St. Thomas we happened accross a couple who were sailing on the Freedom which was in port the same day. They were having a great time but did not speak fondly of the ships staff which was something I had read many times and one of the reasons we switched. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hillhouse Posted March 17, 2008 #12 Share Posted March 17, 2008 We recently went through a similar decision-making process. After 2 voyager class trips with RCCL, we decided to try something else - and settled on the Crown! We're sailing on the "Crown your Honey for Valentine's Day" CC group cruise 2/8-2/15/09 (see Serene56's sig up in post #5). Really looking forward to trying PC dining, MUTS, freshwater pools, afternoon tea, cookies and milk, and a greater variety of early evening entertainment. The itinerary is slightly different than RCCL's, and the price was slightly better than our gold status would get us on a Voyager/Freedom sailing. Nothing ventured, nothing gained, right? And, sorry, never considered Carnival - just heard way too many good things about Princess! Feel free to drop in and check out our growing roll call HERE. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
S.S.Oceanlover Posted March 18, 2008 #13 Share Posted March 18, 2008 If you like the larger RCI ships, I would absolutely choose the Crown. The Crown and RCL's Freedom of the Seas are my two favorite ships. Princess is WAY above a Carnival cruise and the Crown is a great ship. I thin the service is better on Princess than RCI. If you like seafood, you probably would like Princess food better than RCL. (I don't, so I preferred RCI"s food). The Crown is similar in many ways to the Freedom class of ships, just a bit more refined. There was a lot of different things to do on the ship itself , better than other lines I've been on. Try the Crown - I think you'll be pleased. Princess is usually less expensive than RCL and I LOVE their itineraries. What Carnival ship were you on that was so terrible? Bill Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
criuisingurl079 Posted March 18, 2008 #14 Share Posted March 18, 2008 I have been on the Paradise and the Liberty, both were terrible. Will not ever go back to Carnival no matter what the price. I had a serious cough when I left that week, my eyes would water just walking down past the casino, b'c of all the smoke everywhere, even in the pools! They don't enforce the smoking areas at all, people just smoke everywhere. The food was gross in the dining areas, and the buffets had a lot to be desired. The entertainment was also pretty bad compared to some of the people I have seen at sea on other trips. The only plus was that the rooms were decent size, but who wants to spend time in the room! I know this is my opinion, I've been bashed on the CCL board from this review, but I feel that I've cruised enough, and on different lines to give this information to others for their future cruises! Happy Sails! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cruzman Posted March 18, 2008 #15 Share Posted March 18, 2008 I have been on the Paradise and the Liberty, both were terrible. Will not ever go back to Carnival no matter what the price. I had a serious cough when I left that week, my eyes would water just walking down past the casino, b'c of all the smoke everywhere, even in the pools! They don't enforce the smoking areas at all, people just smoke everywhere. The food was gross in the dining areas, and the buffets had a lot to be desired. The entertainment was also pretty bad compared to some of the people I have seen at sea on other trips. The only plus was that the rooms were decent size, but who wants to spend time in the room! I know this is my opinion, I've been bashed on the CCL board from this review, but I feel that I've cruised enough, and on different lines to give this information to others for their future cruises! Happy Sails! Wow, I've sailed on the Paradise and the Liberty and had just the opposite experience, and no, I don't like smoke either. I make a point to avoid those areas where smokers tend to congregate. I actually saw smokers being escorted to "their side" of the ship on Lido Deck on the Liberty. Oh yeah, I have experienced Fourteen Carnival cruises on many different ships and overall Carnival offers much more for your buck than either RCCI or Princess. I shall however, continue to cruise other lines when the price, timing, and itinerary suit me. I personally have never had a bad cruise, but I am one of those "glass is always half full" kinda people. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JandD Mom Posted March 19, 2008 #16 Share Posted March 19, 2008 As you may note by my cruise listing in my sig I have sailed both lines many times and to be honest I prefer the food quality a bit more on Princess. I believe the level of service is a touch better also. As has been noted the fresh water pools on Princess are a plus. You will not find Movies Under The Stars on RCI. Entertainment is more varied but not necessarily better with Princess. While Princess also does not allow you to carry liquor on board they are not as strict as RCI about checking for it. You can also bring wine on board Princess and not at all on RCI. I think you may even find comparable cruises priced slightly less on Princess due to RCI's no discount policy. Having praised Princess you will probably note my next cruise is a Transatlantic with RCI, and yes I did get a great deal. I am a platinum C&A member with RCCL and will be Platinum on Princess after my cruise next week. I have to say I agree 100% with the assessment above. We started going on Princes because our kids, who were younger at the time, HATED the salt water pools on RCL and Celebrity. All in all, I think Princess treats guests a little better. My biggest beef with RCL, on disembarkation day, passengers are thrown out almost like the garbage. Princess treats passengers nice until the end. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JandD Mom Posted March 19, 2008 #17 Share Posted March 19, 2008 oops Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
S.S.Oceanlover Posted March 19, 2008 #18 Share Posted March 19, 2008 I have been on the Paradise and the Liberty, both were terrible. Will not ever go back to Carnival no matter what the price. I had a serious cough when I left that week, my eyes would water just walking down past the casino, b'c of all the smoke everywhere, even in the pools! They don't enforce the smoking areas at all, people just smoke everywhere. The food was gross in the dining areas, and the buffets had a lot to be desired. The entertainment was also pretty bad compared to some of the people I have seen at sea on other trips. The only plus was that the rooms were decent size, but who wants to spend time in the room! I know this is my opinion, I've been bashed on the CCL board from this review, but I feel that I've cruised enough, and on different lines to give this information to others for their future cruises! Happy Sails! The casinos I can understand but smoke was bad even in the pools? You must be very sensitive to smoke if the smoke bothered you in the pools. With the ship cruising along at 18 knots I find it hard to believe myself, but you were there and I wasn't. I know food is subjective but to say the food was gross? YIKES! Bill Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
criuisingurl079 Posted March 19, 2008 #19 Share Posted March 19, 2008 Yes, the smoke was bad, at pool, everyone in the deck chairs were smoking, in the pools, right at the outdoor food areas, on both sides. The bartendar at the Casino bar, which is outside on the promemade, even made a comment how bad it was, and people didn't sit at his bar, b'c it was so thick in the air. Kinda stinks that you can't enjoy some parts of the ship b'c of the smoke:o The food was bad. Never hot, barely warm, have never seen so many entrees get sent back, for lack of any taste. I was with a group of 48, and no one really enjoyed the food like I have seen in past trips. Oh well, we still made the trip fun, but most of the people that I traveled with want to go on the other lines, and not CCL anymore after their experience. To each their own, just not a fan myself. I will gladly pay a bit more for the others. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
1
Recommended Posts
Archived
This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.