Disney vs. Princess

[glassslipper2004]

We have been very happy with Disney but are considering Princess for a cruise next summer (only because Disney doesn't go where we want when we need to go). Our kids are teens now, so don't need the kids clubs, but we do all love the Disney magic. If anyone has been on Princess as well as Disney, I'd love to hear how it compares. For one, it seems that there are more older cruisers without kids - but there must be some kids on Princess too?? Thanks.

 

[Goofy559]

We have sailed princess three times. DD was 7, 9,and 11. Each time was great. Yes the crowd us older but there are usually kids. Which ship and itinerary are you sailing? We are sailing on the MV of the royal princess next summer to the med.

 

[glassslipper2004]

How neat! We are sailing on the August 10 Royal Princess Med cruise.

It's good to hear that you have had great experiences with Princess. My mom loves it. Our roll call so far for the August 10 trip is very quiet, with just a few older couples joining in. But I bet the MV roll call is busy! You'll have to let everyone know what the Royal Princess is like after you test it out.

What did you think of the evening entertainment on Princess? I know we will miss the Disney shows at night.

 

[Goofy559]

The evening shows are unexciting and not up to disney standards. I find that we pack so much in during the day we don't bother with the shows. We do like the anytime dining and the fact that kids can dine in the specialty restaurants. If you are a foodie try to dine at the chef's table...fantastic (no kids though). We like to attend trivia and the other activities. Even my mom who is easily impressed takes a password on the shows. I can't wait to try out the sanctuary. Have you seen the videos about the ship features? Very cool!

 

[Goofy559]

Double post

 

[jdb in AZ]

A cruise on a brand new Princess ship sounds great. Since most students are out of school in August, your kids should have plenty of company. A lot of europeans go on vacation in August, so the passengers on your cruise should be quite an international blend.

We've sailed on Princess four times and have enjoyed it, tho we've noticed they've gone downhill. We wondered if it was because we're so spoiled by Disney, but our TA also noticed they've declined. We weren't impressed with their pizza sandwiches stuffed with egg plant, or their squid ball soup. No, I'm not making that up. the maitre d' in one of the main dining rooms was quite snippy with us, like he owned the ship and we were stowaways.

Evening entertainment just doesn't compare to DCL. On our most recent Princess cruise the hypnotist had trouble keeping his volunteers asleep. It was rather embarrassing.

Hopefully Princess will have their top-of-the-line chefs onboard, and they'll treat you right. Have a fun cruise.

 

[samily]

DH and I went on the Ruby Princess a few years ago and enjoyed it. Here are a few pics of the teen area for your kids:

Teen club:

Teen club hot tub:

 

[vakamalua]

We have sailed on Princess nine times; DCL six. Princess has the best itineraries in the business. It is a different experience from DCL but just as good; in fact, the food is better. The ships are lovely and well maintained.

I think you will have a great time on a Princess Med cruise!

 

[rkdahl]

We have been with Princess on quite a few cruises all over the World. We are happy with the brand and their service and food. We have had kids of varying ages with us on many sailings too. Differences from my view: on Princess: typically older crowd, in non Summer months way less children, in Summer months still less than Disney but plenty to keep kids engaged, food to me is better on Princess than Disney at dinners, shows as mentioned not as good. However the shows on our last cruise with them were excellent shows, much better than past years. Kids programs, good but not as creative or extensive as Disney. Ports and destinations much more choices and cabins much cheaper than Disney.

On Disney shows are top rate, dining food to us is not as good as Princess but Ok. Disney has better kids programs by far, they also cater to families much better overall. Their staff service is excellent, and of course you have the characters!

Overall we like both brands and sail with both as often as we can.

Sent from my iPad using DISBoards

 

[codex57]

I mostly sail Princess. I'm at 5 or 6 cruises with them so far. I really like them as an overall "value" cruise. Carnival is sold as the "value" cruise but they're just too inconsistent IMO. The older ships are REALLY bad. Like hilariously bad. Princess is just more consistent overall IMO.

I like them. Been cruising with them since I was about 10 I think. Food's gone downhill a bit, but still in the "good" category.

For kids, no, it won't be as fun as Disney, but you can still have plenty of fun. I do like how they have late night food options. Just got off the Disney Wonder. Food is basically over after dinner on the Wonder. But the food you do have is much better than Princess IMO.

Still, I paid about the same for my balcony on Princess as I did for my inside category (but got free upgrade to porthole) on Disney. Yes, the crowds can be a bit older than on Disney, but that's pretty much with every line. Disney is about the only one specifically targeted towards younger families. That's to be expected.

I'd still highly recommend both lines.

 

[Euphscott]

Princess is a fantastic product. It's not the same as Disney clearly, but where one zigs, the other zags. You will save a lot money if you work it well and you'll have a fantastic cruise.

The newer or remodeled ships have a fun piazza that allows for a lot of small scale and smaller crowd entertainment. That has been a nice addition to the lineup. We don't even bother to go to the main show as it's bad Vegas review style entertainment. But the smaller acts and entertainers can be quite rewarding. Movies Under the Stars is a great product where they provide blankets and popcorn for the movies they show on their big screen out on deck. On our latest cruise, they also have a few afternoon movies out on deck as well.

I think you woudl do well as long as you remind yourself it's not Disney and you expect that product. Go with an open mind and you will find areas Princess gives you something you like more!

 

[glassslipper2004]

Thanks everyone for all of your comments and the pictures! It is good to know that Disney fans like Princess too, and it isn't just older couples. It makes sense that an August cruise will have more kids than the during-the-school year trips, that's a good point. I'm hoping that the teen club will have an outdoor area like in the picture posted above - from the deck plans of the Royal Princess, it looks like it will. My kids will think that's pretty neat (although may not want to meet new people while wearing bathing suits - like mother, like daughters...) We are very excited about the trip and the chance to try something new. Probably we'll be so wiped out from the long days in port we won't miss the evening entertainment as much - and from the sound of it, the piazza entertainment might be just what we'll be in the mood for.

Thanks again

 

[Goofy559]

I'm just checking back to make sure you've seen the video of the teen club? It has an amazimg outdoor area. If you havent seen it it is worth a look.