Fist cruise on Princess. Experienced cruiser on DCL.

[CarolynU]

We took our first Princess cruise in August after 12 DCL cruises. We took a 10 day cruise to Alaska that left from San Francisco. We had a mini suite, sailed from the U.S. and had 3 more nights for $4000 less than the DCL cruise. Besides the lower price and bigger stateroom, embarkation and disembarkation were remarkably better than DCL. We arrived at the port and after checking in, we walked right on the boat. There were no crowds milling around that we had to push through when our number was called for boarding. Disembarkation was so easy that my DH keep remarking that DCL could learn from Princess how to handle it. We signed up for a time and were given a color and a number and assigned to a lounge to sit in and wait for our number to be called. No lines snaking through the ship all the way back to the theater.
Food was a little better on Princess with more selections at dinner. They also had special dining events like high tea every day and an English Pub luncheon in one of the signature restaurants (no extra charge). I did miss the rotational dining but after a couple of nights, it really didn't matter. Service was a little more formal as we were not addressed by our first names but very good all the same.
The stateroom was very spacious with lots of storage. We actually had two large TVs instead of the one small one on DCL. There was no split bath but the one bathroom was large enough and had a full size tub. If I had one complaint it would be that some of the furniture was outdated and nicked. Our verandah could also have benefited from a power washing.
From an entertainment stand point, DCL is far superior. There was no lack of entertainment or activities on board but the evening shows were not as good as DCL. It's a said commentary when the crew talent show was far better than any of their production shows.
We went on our first Princess cruise with low expectations but we were pleasantly surprised. We enjoyed our experience so much that we booked another Alaska cruise and one to Hawaii for next year.

You echo my thoughts exactly.
Embarking and debarking was amazing. I can’t believe how organised it was after the chaos I’ve experienced with DCL. Especially the debark where I’ve literally stood in line for ages and here I was on Princess in a lounge with restrooms and water and at the precise time given just walked off.
I also agree about the entertainment being superior on DCL.

 

[AnnaS]

We took our first Princess cruise in August after 12 DCL cruises. We took a 10 day cruise to Alaska that left from San Francisco. We had a mini suite, sailed from the U.S. and had 3 more nights for $4000 less than the DCL cruise. Besides the lower price and bigger stateroom, embarkation and disembarkation were remarkably better than DCL. We arrived at the port and after checking in, we walked right on the boat. There were no crowds milling around that we had to push through when our number was called for boarding. Disembarkation was so easy that my DH keep remarking that DCL could learn from Princess how to handle it. We signed up for a time and were given a color and a number and assigned to a lounge to sit in and wait for our number to be called. No lines snaking through the ship all the way back to the theater.
Food was a little better on Princess with more selections at dinner. They also had special dining events like high tea every day and an English Pub luncheon in one of the signature restaurants (no extra charge). I did miss the rotational dining but after a couple of nights, it really didn't matter. Service was a little more formal as we were not addressed by our first names but very good all the same.
The stateroom was very spacious with lots of storage. We actually had two large TVs instead of the one small one on DCL. There was no split bath but the one bathroom was large enough and had a full size tub. If I had one complaint it would be that some of the furniture was outdated and nicked. Our verandah could also have benefited from a power washing.
From an entertainment stand point, DCL is far superior. There was no lack of entertainment or activities on board but the evening shows were not as good as DCL. It's a said commentary when the crew talent show was far better than any of their production shows.
We went on our first Princess cruise with low expectations but we were pleasantly surprised. We enjoyed our experience so much that we booked another Alaska cruise and one to Hawaii for next year

Thank you so much for sharing. We are flying from Newark or JFK (not booked flights) to Anchorage. Three nights there and then on to the Southbound cruise. Our first time. Appreciate the feedback. I am sure we will be comparing can't be helped:

 

[hrhdhd]

We took our first Princess cruise in August after 12 DCL cruises. We took a 10 day cruise to Alaska that left from San Francisco.

That Golden Gate Bridge sailway is wonderful! Glad you enjoyed your cruise. We are Elite on Princess and have loved each cruise.

 

[auntlynne]

We sailed Princess last summer (I think) in the British Isles. I just couldn't justify the price DCL was charging as we're a group of adults. Our ship was older, but we had a good experience and would definitely sail Princess again.

My sister and niece did the 12-night British Isles Cruise on Princess; I never heard them speak badly about it. And they are big DCL fans.

We have cruised DCL 8 times and for the first time cruising the Royal Princess next year. We are doing a land tour/cruise Alaska (10 nights). Hoping it will meet or be above our expectations - I try not to expect too much so I won't be disappointed Thank you for your review/summary.

We have sailed Alaska three times on Princess and our first time was DCL. The Disney advantage was shows, roaming characters on the fjord /glacier day, and the overall beauty of Disney ships.

But Princess offers much better pricing, including some verandas that are double sized, afternoon tea, onboard naturalists, and an assortment of itineraries - with exceptional glacier viewing.

Thank you OP for the great review. My daughter has visions of a European cruise for her graduation. We will likely go with a non-DCL line and try and throw a few days in Disneyland Paris in. Because of your review, I will look at other lines. Thank you!

I’ve found that i don’t miss the Disney experience on port-intensive itineraries. Sometimes, we were getting back on ship after dinner started.

2 Questions: Is Room Service included and what was the noise level in main dining? If room service is included, we could avoid the 'dress up' nights.

In addition, the buffet is open at dinner. We used it for a relaxing meal.