Anyone with experience on Princess?

[dmunsil]

I think only the Royal Princess and Regal Princess have the fancy horn that plays the Love Boat theme. I don't believe the Ruby has it.

 

[RedSox68]

I think only the Royal Princess and Regal Princess have the fancy horn that plays the Love Boat theme. I don't believe the Ruby has it.

Ahhh, that explains it!

 

[Dug720]

I think only the Royal Princess and Regal Princess have the fancy horn that plays the Love Boat theme. I don't believe the Ruby has it.

Boo!!

 

[dmunsil]

Just play this on your phone as you sail away...

 

[JenTen1585]

I have been on 3 princess cruises (Mediterranean 10 day for my honeymoon, 7 day Alaska, and 7 day Carribbean on the Star Princess, Coral Princess, and Ruby Princess respectively) and 1 Disney Cruise on the Magic (Norwejian Fjords). Honestly, I have never had a bad cruise, they were all amazing, but here are my observations between the two lines:
The Princess was much less kids and kid activities of course, so for our little girl (6 at the time of our Disney Cruise, now 8 for our upcoming Disney British Isles Cruise), there is no comparison, Disney wins hands down. She loved every second of it and we love Disney and very much enjoyed the Magic too. There is no competing with the magic for a child or true Disney lover, no matter what age.
However, as a couple, the Princess cruise line ships were wonderful and offered more activities for adults in my opinion and, specifically, they have a casino with very fun and personable dealers. My husband and I love to gamble (reasonably) and really enjoyed the casino on the Princess ships. I liked the bingo on the Disney Magic and the extra prizes offered. I also enjoyed the bingo on the Princess ships, which was often run by the cruise director and assistant cruise directors themselves (who were hillarious and so much fun at the Bingo). The last Princess cruise I was on offered Zumba twice a day on sea days, which was so much fun! And the two cruises before that offered ballroom dancing and line dancing. On the Alaskan cruise, there was a series of 3 line dance classes, followed by a hoedown where they played all the songs we learned - so much fun!!!
The cruise director and staff on both ships were great, but I have to say on Princess the cruise directors we have had have all been true comedians who made our cruises so much fun. They pick a theme song for the cruise and do little stand ups while introducing the shows each night. So fabulous! By the end of the cruise, I felt like I knew the cruise director, assistant cruise director, and most of the staff personally!
Also, Princess has fabulous art auctions!
Both cruise lines have fabulous food, of course the Disney Magic has much more "magic," fun, and theme in their dining rooms and food selections. I loved the dinners on the Magic! But the food was very good on Princess too.
What I like most about Princess is that there is a sense of luxury without a coldness. It feels comfortable on the ships ... at least for me.
I've only had inside cabins on every ship, and I would say they are comparable with the Disney room set up being a little bit better.
Each cruise line has it's nickel and dime-ing, but in different ways. For example, on Disney, soft drinks are free (yay!!) but on Princess you have to pay for a soda package. On Princess, popcorn is free and when you watch movies by the pool, they bring you blankets, fresh baked cookies and milk, whereas on Disney, you have to pay for popcorn outside of the movie theater. Alcoholic drinks are the same on both ships. I don't partake much so I don't have a comment on the differences.
On Princess, you can choose either anytime dining or traditional seating. I've only ever chosen anytime dining (pluses and minuses of course - pluses, convenience, minuses, new waiters every night so as a result a much less personal wait staff relationship.) After cruising on Disney, I appreciate the traditional dining set up. It was less convenient, but more fun to dine with other cruisers, and I enjoyed having a wait staff who got to know me and anticipate my needs. They have that on Princess too, I just have never chosen it to know how it compares.
I've also taken cruises on Norwegian and Royal Caribbean, but not on Royal Caribbean's fancy ships, just their older ones. For me, Princess is better than those other cruises, just a little notch above in service, although I very much enjoyed my Mediterranean Cruise on the Norwegian Gem. But with regard to Disney vs Princess, I think both are wonderful and it's just whether you want the Disney theme for yourself or your kids, or whether you are willing to forego the theming for some more adult selections. For me, I will continue to happily cruise on both. My dream is the 101 day around the world cruise on the Princess!!! I don't know if my dream will ever become a reality, but I would LOVE it when I retire (many years from now!)!

 

[Dug720]

I have been on 3 princess cruises (Mediterranean 10 day for my honeymoon, 7 day Alaska, and 7 day Carribbean on the Star Princess, Coral Princess, and Ruby Princess respectively) and 1 Disney Cruise on the Magic (Norwejian Fjords). Honestly, I have never had a bad cruise, they were all amazing, but here are my observations between the two lines:
The Princess was much less kids and kid activities of course, so for our little girl (6 at the time of our Disney Cruise, now 8 for our upcoming Disney British Isles Cruise), there is no comparison, Disney wins hands down. She loved every second of it and we love Disney and very much enjoyed the Magic too. There is no competing with the magic for a child or true Disney lover, no matter what age.
However, as a couple, the Princess cruise line ships were wonderful and offered more activities for adults in my opinion and, specifically, they have a casino with very fun and personable dealers. My husband and I love to gamble (reasonably) and really enjoyed the casino on the Princess ships. I liked the bingo on the Disney Magic and the extra prizes offered. I also enjoyed the bingo on the Princess ships, which was often run by the cruise director and assistant cruise directors themselves (who were hillarious and so much fun at the Bingo). The last Princess cruise I was on offered Zumba twice a day on sea days, which was so much fun! And the two cruises before that offered ballroom dancing and line dancing. On the Alaskan cruise, there was a series of 3 line dance classes, followed by a hoedown where they played all the songs we learned - so much fun!!!
The cruise director and staff on both ships were great, but I have to say on Princess the cruise directors we have had have all been true comedians who made our cruises so much fun. They pick a theme song for the cruise and do little stand ups while introducing the shows each night. So fabulous! By the end of the cruise, I felt like I knew the cruise director, assistant cruise director, and most of the staff personally!
Also, Princess has fabulous art auctions!
Both cruise lines have fabulous food, of course the Disney Magic has much more "magic," fun, and theme in their dining rooms and food selections. I loved the dinners on the Magic! But the food was very good on Princess too.
What I like most about Princess is that there is a sense of luxury without a coldness. It feels comfortable on the ships ... at least for me.
I've only had inside cabins on every ship, and I would say they are comparable with the Disney room set up being a little bit better.
I've also taken cruises on Norwegian and Royal Caribbean, but not on Royal Caribbean's fancy ships, just their older ones. For me, Princess is hands down better than those other cruises, although I very much enjoyed my Meditteranean Cruise on the Norwegian Gem. But with regard to Disney vs Princess, I think both are wonderful and it's just whether you want the Disney theme for yourself or your kids, or whether you are willing to forego the theming for some more adult selections. For me, I will continue to happily cruise on both. My dream is the 101 day around the world cruise on the Princess!!! I don't know if my dream will ever become a reality, but I would LOVE it when I retire (many years from now!)!

Thanks! I'm a solo adult who doesn't do casinos or Bingo, but it seems like there is other stuff to do too. Shows...I freely admit I am a show snob and have yet to find anything remotely the caliber of Disney's talent - but skipping those just gives me more time to explore the ship!

 

[JenTen1585]

Thanks! I'm a solo adult who doesn't do casinos or Bingo, but it seems like there is other stuff to do too. Shows...I freely admit I am a show snob and have yet to find anything remotely the caliber of Disney's talent - but skipping those just gives me more time to explore the ship!

You're right, the Disney shows are better (I forgot to mention that)! But I did enjoy the Princess shows, even though they felt a little bit cheesy. No comparison to Disney though. They win on entertainment for sure! I'm pretty easy to entertain on shows! What was cool was one night on the Princess ship, we got seated with a couple of the performers for dinner! It was just the four of us at a table! I bugged them the whole dinner I'm sure, asking lots of questions, but it was fascinating for me and they were so sweet and nice!

 

[kendall]

In looking for a Princess vs Disney thread, I found this thread to add to so here we go.

When the kids were little, we did 2 Disney Cruises. Since then, we had some great deals and have cruised on Disney as adults, and we really enjoyed our adults-only experiences on Disney. We found a great deal for Princess, and decided to give it a go. We just returned from a one-week Western on the Regal Princess.

Overall customer service: Both excellent. Tie. in fact, perhaps edge to Princess.

Stateroom: Disney. Disney has a tub and comfortable shower; Princess has a small shower stall. Disney also has a couch, which was not available in the veranda category we booked on Princess.

Food: Princess. More herbs and spices, overall flavorful choices in comparison to Disney. We had the choice if anytime dining or a fixed dining time. We choose fixed, and were often done with a 3-4 course meal within 60-75 minutes. Timing was excellent. We did not try the upsell restaurant on Princess. We have dined Palo and Remy and have been pleased. Princess' buffet was indeed better than Disney's, with more flavorful dishes and choices at both breakfast and lunch.

Stage and Lounge Entertainment: Disney. Mainstage shows from Disney are professional and engaging. Lounge musicians have been fabulous on Disney. on Princess they are hit and miss, plus the music tended to trend to the 1950s-60s. Big negative for Regal Princess - the ship had two performances of the mainstage show in their Princess Theater, and it was very possible that you would not get a seat unless you were willing to show up at least 30 minutes early and sit there. We were not a fan of not having enough seats for the number of passengers over two shows.

Programming for Adults: I suppose it is what you like - I lean Disney. Not interested in the casinos or the art auctions. Princess did have an interesting enrichment lecture and a stell drum class, and there is Zumba. The remaining Princess activities leaned to an older generation. Trivia leaned older, music leaned older, etc. Princess always had its Movies under the Stars screen showing either a movie or recorded music concert (e.g. Billy Joel, Santana, etc.). staterooms had movies and tv on demand with a great selection on Princess.

Ship design and features: Edge to Disney. The Regal Princess was a beautiful ship and the design is tied together well. The new Ocean Medallion will be creating interactive features throughout the ship but it is not fully launched yet.

Gym: Princess. The Regal had a great gym setup with a variety of equipment, free weights, and more.

Adults-only area: Disney. Ok, honestly, the entire Princess ship was like an adults-only ship because there were perhaps a dozen children on board. However, Disney does adults-only well.

Energy/Vibe: Disney. This is where a big difference was for us. The Princess dancers and singers had to struggle to get the audience to engage with them. Disney ships have more energy in their activities. The energy at sail away and other deck parties was absent on Princess. We aren't big crowd people or even ones to dance at sail-away, but the energy imparted through the activity enlivens everyone. That was definitely missing. We enjoy the multigenerational energy on a Disney ship.

Overall: For us, edge to Disney. While we enjoyed the Regal Princess, we missed the energy of a Disney ship and we missed listening to lounge and mainstage music that didn't focus on 1950s-1970s music. Would we cruise Princess again? If we had a great deal, maybe.

 

[jdb in AZ]

In looking for a Princess vs Disney thread, I found this thread to add to so here we go.

Food: Princess. More herbs and spices, overall flavorful choices in comparison to Disney. We had the choice if anytime dining or a fixed dining time. We choose fixed, and were often done with a 3-4 course meal within 60-75 minutes. Timing was excellent. We did not try the upsell restaurant on Princess. We have dined Palo and Remy and have been pleased. Princess' buffet was indeed better than Disney's, with more flavorful dishes and choices at both breakfast and lunch.

Overall: For us, edge to Disney. While we enjoyed the Regal Princess, we missed the energy of a Disney ship and we missed listening to lounge and mainstage music that didn't focus on 1950s-1970s music. Would we cruise Princess again? If we had a great deal, maybe.

We tried the upsell restaurant on the Ruby Princess last summer, and it was really good -- better than any MDR we've been on (24 cruises.) Excellent preparation without all the frou frou in Remy. (That's not to say we didn't enjoy Remy, but the Princess upsell restaurants tone down the gourmet stuff.) Each Princess ship also has an International Cafe with great sandwiches, shrimp salad, and marvelous French pastries.

 

[bobbiwoz]

We were on the Caribbean Princess in January, a partial transit of Panama Canal. It was our second time with this itinerary. I thought the staff was even friendlier than on DCL, the first time I have ever experienced so many smiles! There are now hand washing stations as well as Hand sanitizer provided at the buffet. However, I thought the buffet had a very poor selection considering my tastes.

Two movies we saw under the stars were Victoria and Abdul, and Goodbye Christopher Robin. They also showed Wonder, but we had already seen it.

 

[AppleDGang]

Seems like we're bringing a post out of hibernation, but since we're at it:

We were on the Ruby last April - LA to Mexico. It was delightful, and we'll cruise with them again. Couple of quick points:
- We've also been on the Fantasy 3 times and the Dream once. We're back on the Fantasy later this month.
- Our kids are 17 and 13, and we were able to get two cabins on Princess for less than 1 on DCL. Yes, HALF the cost.
- And because of the lower cost, able to bring grandparents along too! And as a result, we were more comfortable and less cramped.
- We much preferred the food on Princess. Our family dinners (traditional, set time) were far and away better than on Disney. We had a nice big round table, fairly quiet and never rushed. Service equal, but not as cloying as on DCL.
- The kids didn't love the clubs on Princess, and didn't really go. They preferred DCL by a mile. That said, there were lots of kids onboard because t was spring break week.
- We prefer the bars and adult areas on DCL. Not exactly sure why, but more energy.
- Gym better on Princess. Bigger.
- Outdoor adults-only area better on DCL. We didn't like the Princess upcharge for the Sanctuary - that's just stupid.
- I really missed watching great Disney movies on the funnelvision. You wouldn't think that would matter to a 47 year old guy. But I like my Pixar movies.
- Decor / feel: DCL hands down, because love the style and design of DCL. Maybe it's the blue turf on the outdoor decks, but the Ruby seems very dated by comparison.

As I mentioned, we'll be back on the Fantasy in a few weeks, mostly because it'll be the last time we can cruise before the older kid will age out of the Vibe - so we figure we should go one last time. We all love DCL, but Princess and others are solid alternatives. Particularly when it's not all about the kids.

 

[mevelandry]

In looking for a Princess vs Disney thread, I found this thread to add to so here we go.

When the kids were little, we did 2 Disney Cruises. Since then, we had some great deals and have cruised on Disney as adults, and we really enjoyed our adults-only experiences on Disney. We found a great deal for Princess, and decided to give it a go. We just returned from a one-week Western on the Regal Princess.

Overall customer service: Both excellent. Tie. in fact, perhaps edge to Princess.

Stateroom: Disney. Disney has a tub and comfortable shower; Princess has a small shower stall. Disney also has a couch, which was not available in the veranda category we booked on Princess.

Food: Princess. More herbs and spices, overall flavorful choices in comparison to Disney. We had the choice if anytime dining or a fixed dining time. We choose fixed, and were often done with a 3-4 course meal within 60-75 minutes. Timing was excellent. We did not try the upsell restaurant on Princess. We have dined Palo and Remy and have been pleased. Princess' buffet was indeed better than Disney's, with more flavorful dishes and choices at both breakfast and lunch.

Stage and Lounge Entertainment: Disney. Mainstage shows from Disney are professional and engaging. Lounge musicians have been fabulous on Disney. on Princess they are hit and miss, plus the music tended to trend to the 1950s-60s. Big negative for Regal Princess - the ship had two performances of the mainstage show in their Princess Theater, and it was very possible that you would not get a seat unless you were willing to show up at least 30 minutes early and sit there. We were not a fan of not having enough seats for the number of passengers over two shows.

Programming for Adults: I suppose it is what you like - I lean Disney. Not interested in the casinos or the art auctions. Princess did have an interesting enrichment lecture and a stell drum class, and there is Zumba. The remaining Princess activities leaned to an older generation. Trivia leaned older, music leaned older, etc. Princess always had its Movies under the Stars screen showing either a movie or recorded music concert (e.g. Billy Joel, Santana, etc.). staterooms had movies and tv on demand with a great selection on Princess.

Ship design and features: Edge to Disney. The Regal Princess was a beautiful ship and the design is tied together well. The new Ocean Medallion will be creating interactive features throughout the ship but it is not fully launched yet.

Gym: Princess. The Regal had a great gym setup with a variety of equipment, free weights, and more.

Adults-only area: Disney. Ok, honestly, the entire Princess ship was like an adults-only ship because there were perhaps a dozen children on board. However, Disney does adults-only well.

Energy/Vibe: Disney. This is where a big difference was for us. The Princess dancers and singers had to struggle to get the audience to engage with them. Disney ships have more energy in their activities. The energy at sail away and other deck parties was absent on Princess. We aren't big crowd people or even ones to dance at sail-away, but the energy imparted through the activity enlivens everyone. That was definitely missing. We enjoy the multigenerational energy on a Disney ship.

Overall: For us, edge to Disney. While we enjoyed the Regal Princess, we missed the energy of a Disney ship and we missed listening to lounge and mainstage music that didn't focus on 1950s-1970s music. Would we cruise Princess again? If we had a great deal, maybe.

You may not realize it but you sold me Princess to me big time! Music from the 1950-70s is my favorite! And I would definitely enjoy a steeldrum class!

Thanks for the detailed review!

 

[RedSox68]

Shows...I freely admit I am a show snob and have yet to find anything remotely the caliber of Disney's talent - but skipping those just gives me more time to explore the ship!

Too funny -- we felt the same way, until we sailed on NCL. All other lines (HAL, Princess, Carnival), we just could not stomach the Vegas style shows that all sounded the same. We go if there is a comedy act or guest appearance. But I liked what NCL was doing on their ships -- offering Broadway shows for free, you just pick the day and time. You have to "get tickets" to secure a spot, but the shows were awesome. Otherwise, we'll pass

 

[jujubiee4]

Of course! Granted it's 333 days away (not that I'm counting or anything...haha), but I for sure will!

I hate resurrecting an old thread but wondering how you liked your Princess cruise. Im looking to book for next
year.

Thanks!

 

[Dug720]

I hate resurrecting an old thread but wondering how you liked your Princess cruise. Im looking to book for next
year.

Thanks!

I actually ended up cancelling that one. Sorry!

 

[tidefan]

We sailed Regal Princess in March and absolutely loved it. Do note, though that Ruby will not have the upgraded buffet that the Royal and Regal have.

We really like Princess though. I can't remember if the Ruby has an Alfredo's (an included italian/pizza place), but if so, it's some of the best pizza at sea...

 

[mevelandry]

I hate resurrecting an old thread but wondering how you liked your Princess cruise. Im looking to book for next
year.

Thanks!

Not sure on which page but if you look on the "Carnival vs DCL" thread there is a very complete review of a Princess cruise as well.

 

[bobbiwoz]

Princess has always had Movies under the Stars with free popcorn as far as I remember. We have sailed Princess a lot and enjoy the line.

We especially loved their Baltic cruise and their partial crossing of the Panama Canal cruise.

We enjoy their anytime dining feature.

I've participated in their "book club" and Tom won elevator roulette!

This is an older thread, and I wanted to add that on our last partial crossing of the Panama Canal, January 2018, the staff was extremely friendly. Our cabin steward had worked for them for 30 years.

I did not like the buffet offerings as much, we were on Caribbean Princess.

I now see that I had commented on the friendliness last year as well.

We are doing a cruise and Denali on Princess out of Vancouver later this month.

 

[DisneYE]

This is an older thread, and I wanted to add that on our last partial crossing of the Panama Canal, January 2018, the staff was extremely friendly. Our cabin steward had worked for them for 30 years.

I did not like the buffet offerings as much, we were on Caribbean Princess.

I now see that I had commented on the friendliness last year as well.

We are doing a cruise and Denali on Princess out of Vancouver later this month.

This was a cool thread to resurrect.
After reading a few posts I kinda like what the Princess has to offer.
If I ever cruise solo, which I really want to do, I will seriously consider the princess. It's so incredibly cheap!! (compared to DCL)

 

[CruiseTraveler7]

We sailed Regal Princess in March and absolutely loved it. Do note, though that Ruby will not have the upgraded buffet that the Royal and Regal have.

We really like Princess though. I can't remember if the Ruby has an Alfredo's (an included italian/pizza place), but if so, it's some of the best pizza at sea...
View attachment 399784

All Princess ships have an Alfredo, the pizza place on open deck next to the grill. Yes, the four cheese pizza is my favourite!