So we're back from our first Princess cruise. I felt we had completely prepared ourselves for the differences in the two lines. I don't feel it was a great cruiseline, but it wasn't awful either. Here's the run down for those considering this line since the Magic is sailing in different waters this year and next. If you were considering Princess at this point unless you're going to Alaska I think I'd have to say to try Royal Caribbean. Maybe they have more in the way activities for groups of all ages. We weren't wowed by this line and felt the service wasn't comparable though many have felt otherwise. I've noted where our issues are. We had a good cruise overall, but it left us feeling very disappointed in areas.
Cruise Terminal - No one does it like Disney. I didn't know what to expect at the cruise terminal and how their check in process is. You are handed a number as soon as you come through screening if you get there early enough to sit inside. Then they call you by number so you can go check in at the desk by your deck level. After checking-in you'll proceed to board immediately. I like Disney's terminal better. We didn't know if we should sit or go check in somewhere else when we first stepped inside. No one really pointed you in any direction really. However, Disney has been our only cruising experience so I have nothing to go by but that experience alone.
We chose Caribbean Princess. It's a newer, larger ship. The ship itself I thought was gorgeous. It was decked out in a lot of woods, both dark and light, very muted elegance.
For the rooms: Disney wins hands down but not because of size. I felt Princess could've decorated their staterooms with more wood and more like their common areas. It was so blah to me. The beds were terrible. The beds in the suites don't have upgraded mattresses or sheets as they stated on their web site. My MIL had the same bed mattress and sheets on hers as we had on ours.
We were prepared for the reduction in cabin size, too, but it was a bit shocking to see my MIL's balcony stateroom's bathroom. 
The shower was really small. I hadn't expected that, but it was doable. We were in a Penthouse suite. There are some full suites like ours in lesser categories. It's basically just a location difference between them. Our's was on the Riveria deck (deck 14) right under the pools. I thought about downgrading to another full suite on aft but my DH felt the noise wouldn't be bad. He was worried about the motion. I thought our Cat 4 on the Disney Magic was quiter. It wasn't scraping of chairs we heard, but the elephants stampeding and what sounded like doors banging close. Not just during the day mind you, but all night as well. I just could not figure out what the noise was? 
Since the ship has less vibration I wouldn't hesitate to book an aft room.
The spa - it was large and the service was great. Never once did they ask me to purchase products or do any pitch. I had massage, pedicure and 2 hair styling sessions. DH felt his therapist gave him the best massage he ever had. I like the spaciousness of their spa space and the set up of it. I didn't get a chance to use the thermal suite, but we had passes to do so. I regret not doing that. From the pictures and the good reviews it may have been a nice retreat.
The food: Well, sorry DCL, but Princess wins hands down for lunch/dinner in the dining room and buffet food. DCL has MUCH better poolside food such as burgers and pizza. I heard so much about their ice-cream (Scoops) on cruise critic and how it was homemade on Princess. Well, it was a bit disappointing too. It tasted as any other ice-cream I had so I'm not sure about why people rave so much about it?
There aren't many flavors to choose from either. No free soft serve ice-cream on Princess. DCL wins with free sodas and ice-cream. However, someone needs to show Princess cook's how to cook eggs benedict. What we ended up with was something encrusted on top instead of hollandaise sauce. Not nearly as good of what I've gotten on DCL or at restaurants we've been too. We chose to eat at their alternative dining room, Sabatini's. I hear it's a must-do and not to be missed. We won't be returning. Palo is far superior! The food in the regular dining room was better than that in Sabatini's. Maybe Sterling's would've been a better option for us. I just couldn't get a reservation because I waited too late.
Princess Cay - Ok, I was told it was comparable to CC or that I'd pleasantly surprised by their private island. Their private island is about 1/2 the size and not nearly as nice. FTR, I didn't expected CC quality. I did expect it being a bit larger and a little nicer. They do have people selling things on the island, but they never bothered you. The water is pretty and the white sand was nice. It just didn't seem large enough. There was lots of shady spots. The buildings didn't look as well cared for either.
I rented a bungalow here. The service given in the Bungalows was fantastic. The view was great. We were disappointed not being able to swim right directly in front of us. I wasn't prepared for that. It's the snorkeling area and you need swim shoes to be able to swim there because of the rocks. Oh, in case you are wondering what the bungalows are. They are basically a building the size of a shed that is air conditioned. It has a table and chairs in it so you can eat without being in the heat. I knew what I was getting, but I was worried about having shade on the island. I find that not to be a problem. You can most certainly do without this. I opted for the VIP package and we were served a lobster inspired lunch by our attendant. Bottled water, a (key word "a") free cocktail was included in this along with priority tendering tickets. It was way too much food. If we ever return, we'd just opt for the bungalow itself should we feel the need to do so. Rumor has it they'll grab food from the grill for you. Roaming drink waiters are plentiful of course.
Casino - I had some fun with this. It was too smokey for me in the late evenings so I had to restrict it to early evening or day time only (total bummer!). I won a little money on the slots.
Not nearly enough to pay for my cruise or anything like that, but it gave me warm and fuzzies to know I was up and not just breaking even or down. Now I secretly wish DCL would put one in though I know that wouldn't be pleasing to some. It can be fun if you don't take it seriously. KWIM?
Service: Yes, this was such a mixed bag.
We had an AWESOME room steward. He could be way down the hall and see us emerge and yell for us to have a fun, wonderful or great day. I'd page him and he'd respond within minutes. He's the only one I tipped above and beyond.
We had to call one day about 1/2 the lights in our cabin not working. Well, I waited...waited...and waited a bit more. I called back to see if they contacted maintenance yet. They had. Ok, I have to use the restroom and can't without the lights. You know, there aren't any night lights in there? I also need to take a shower. We have spa appointments. I'm sure the therapists would appreciate a body without sunscreen, etc. So I was told they'd put a rush on it. In the meantime, MIL is in her cabin so I run down to use her bathroom. I come back and wait some more. I called a 3rd time. It's been a few hours now. Why hadn't anyone checked on this? We are the only stateroom with the problem. I will need to shower for dinner after coming back from the spa. My DH prefers not to use the spa locker room for that. Well, they fixed while we were in the spa. No follow up call about fixing it. I guess that's a DCL difference?
Now fast forward 2 nights. We go to dinner and come back to the room. We are getting ready for bed. We hear a knock at the door. Hmmmm, maybe it's someone knocking on the neighbor's door. Nope, it's us. It's 10:00 p.m. or a bit after and the maintenance guy is standing at the door about a broken tub.
What? I told him I know nothing of it. We were never left a message about it from guest services or Dino. I found it really rude to intrude on us like that. He insisted on fixing right then as it would only take a couple of minutes. Um, I'm in my robe and DH is half dressed. I called him to make sure he was decent before letting him in.
Never once did they call me about the lights or this tub even.
We were on anytime dining. The service was slow going. We had one good waiter and I kept trying to convince DH to set up a standing reservation with him but he wouldn't. They sell coke cards but no one wants to get you one. The servers were impersonable and never explained the dishes even if I asked them to. It was always a quick get the beef. Oh, thanks! You would be given menus and they asked immediately do we want something from the bar. Um, I'm sure my 11 year old would like a margarita.
They completely ignored my son and would badger my DH to order beer or a cocktail when he ordered a coke even after DH politely declined a few times. It makes meal time awful the way they do things. No "May I get you something to drink?" Or "May I get you something to drink while you go over the menu?" Then they wouldn't refill sodas. Most of the time we had to ask, but they kept my wine glass filled without effort. Twice they totally skipped my MIL for her drink order and I had to flag them back down. At the end of the cruise I ordered a glass of wine but told them to bring the sodas and tea for them first. They looked at me like I had a 3rd eye or something. And that's just the drink saga! 
Then when they'd come back I guess for you to order your meal a while later but not before they stand over you and look at you without saying a peep. Then they finally say "What do you want?" or "What's your order?" 
Am I at McD's? We made it through it and needless to say we are very disappointed in the dining room service. If I had to guess, traditional dining is much better. The waiters there feel they have a better chance at earning additional gratuity so they take care of guests. I guess us anytime diners are a pain and just cheap.
Let's talk about the buffet. The food was very, very tasty. But be prepared and I mean very prepared for what you will walk into there. It's a confusing set up. 4 points of entry/exit with the stations kind of all over. Then there is limited seating. I had guy run in front of to grab the table I was headed for. People rushing around you, getting in front of you to get something from a dish...you get the scene. We endured this for breakfast because the breakfast buffet was better than the dining room's breakfast. Go figure!
Pools and Deck Loungers on Sea Days - They have freshwater pools - 2 adults (1 smaller and 1 with a swim against the current feature), 2 main pools and the kids pool. The two main pools are actually deep. If your kids aren't very good swimmers they have a kids pool but it isn't the same. More like a splash pool. DS was disappointed not being able to take advantage of swimming like he had planned on. We always found chairs and never saw where the pools were overcrowded on sea days.
MUTS - What's MUTS? Well, that's Movies Under The Stars. They played a variety of movies. In the evening the lounge chairs are set up with blankeys for a cozy atmosphere. Nice touch.
Activities: Bingo, more bingo, gambling, spa anyone? Where were the activities? They did have a few line dancing classes. The ice-carving was done while people were in port. Their must-do champagne waterfall wasn't a night before a sea day so unless you had late excursions you wouldn't be attending. We wanted to see it but it was held at midnight. We had to be up at 6 a.m. for our fishing excursion. I never had a problem finding something to do on DCL, but I didn't find anything appealing on Princess. They did have their version of Survivors at the pool that was interesting to watch. That's about all I can say.
Kids Over Runneth the Ship - Nope, not on our cruise. However, there substantially less children cruising. They have Youth Security onboard to make sure the kiddos are where they are suppose to be and not in adult areas.
What you might expect from fellow cruisers - Hopefully you'll encounter more families during the peak summer months. We felt we were in the miniority on our sailing. There were a good amount of college age men/women (well behaved really), a noticeable chunk of 70+ and then an good chunk of mid 40's/50's to 70's. I think the just retired crowd ruled the roost on our week. We encountered many that were from different countries which was neat. Of course, we also encountered some grumpiness and some downright rudeness among passengers, too. Much more than I thought there'd be.
Kids Club - My DS loved their kids club. He felt it was better than DCL. I think mainly because he likes just to play board and video games and that was the bulk of their activities. No role playing or anything like that. The staff were warm and friendly. There is no pager system. You have to be comfortable with your kids leaving on their own and have a meeting spot if they can sign themselves in or out. At the end of the week when DS proved he can navigate the ship and with the understanding where his meeting area is then did I let him have those sign in/out priviledges.
Little note: Kids will have charging priviledges. You can't turn it off online prior to embarking and then you have to do it at the purser's desk. I didn't have any issues, but I like the idea of having that option when checking in online like Disney.
Check your bill! They are pretty famous for double charging. I had a double charge that took a while to straighten out. I heard many people being double charged for things or charged for things like water in their room when they hadn't consumed it. It's easy for it to happen so watch it carefully. I'm sure DCL isn't free from this, but I've never discovered errors with their billing.
Like I said, I felt I had prepared myself for the cruiseline difference. Where it was soured was the dining room service and how they handle maintenance issues.
Cruise Terminal - No one does it like Disney. I didn't know what to expect at the cruise terminal and how their check in process is. You are handed a number as soon as you come through screening if you get there early enough to sit inside. Then they call you by number so you can go check in at the desk by your deck level. After checking-in you'll proceed to board immediately. I like Disney's terminal better. We didn't know if we should sit or go check in somewhere else when we first stepped inside. No one really pointed you in any direction really. However, Disney has been our only cruising experience so I have nothing to go by but that experience alone.
We chose Caribbean Princess. It's a newer, larger ship. The ship itself I thought was gorgeous. It was decked out in a lot of woods, both dark and light, very muted elegance.
For the rooms: Disney wins hands down but not because of size. I felt Princess could've decorated their staterooms with more wood and more like their common areas. It was so blah to me. The beds were terrible. The beds in the suites don't have upgraded mattresses or sheets as they stated on their web site. My MIL had the same bed mattress and sheets on hers as we had on ours.
We were prepared for the reduction in cabin size, too, but it was a bit shocking to see my MIL's balcony stateroom's bathroom. The shower was really small. I hadn't expected that, but it was doable. We were in a Penthouse suite. There are some full suites like ours in lesser categories. It's basically just a location difference between them. Our's was on the Riveria deck (deck 14) right under the pools. I thought about downgrading to another full suite on aft but my DH felt the noise wouldn't be bad. He was worried about the motion. I thought our Cat 4 on the Disney Magic was quiter. It wasn't scraping of chairs we heard, but the elephants stampeding and what sounded like doors banging close. Not just during the day mind you, but all night as well. I just could not figure out what the noise was? Since the ship has less vibration I wouldn't hesitate to book an aft room. The spa - it was large and the service was great. Never once did they ask me to purchase products or do any pitch. I had massage, pedicure and 2 hair styling sessions. DH felt his therapist gave him the best massage he ever had. I like the spaciousness of their spa space and the set up of it. I didn't get a chance to use the thermal suite, but we had passes to do so. I regret not doing that. From the pictures and the good reviews it may have been a nice retreat.
The food: Well, sorry DCL, but Princess wins hands down for lunch/dinner in the dining room and buffet food. DCL has MUCH better poolside food such as burgers and pizza. I heard so much about their ice-cream (Scoops) on cruise critic and how it was homemade on Princess. Well, it was a bit disappointing too. It tasted as any other ice-cream I had so I'm not sure about why people rave so much about it?
There aren't many flavors to choose from either. No free soft serve ice-cream on Princess. DCL wins with free sodas and ice-cream. However, someone needs to show Princess cook's how to cook eggs benedict. What we ended up with was something encrusted on top instead of hollandaise sauce. Not nearly as good of what I've gotten on DCL or at restaurants we've been too. We chose to eat at their alternative dining room, Sabatini's. I hear it's a must-do and not to be missed. We won't be returning. Palo is far superior! The food in the regular dining room was better than that in Sabatini's. Maybe Sterling's would've been a better option for us. I just couldn't get a reservation because I waited too late. Princess Cay - Ok, I was told it was comparable to CC or that I'd pleasantly surprised by their private island. Their private island is about 1/2 the size and not nearly as nice. FTR, I didn't expected CC quality. I did expect it being a bit larger and a little nicer. They do have people selling things on the island, but they never bothered you. The water is pretty and the white sand was nice. It just didn't seem large enough. There was lots of shady spots. The buildings didn't look as well cared for either.
I rented a bungalow here. The service given in the Bungalows was fantastic. The view was great. We were disappointed not being able to swim right directly in front of us. I wasn't prepared for that. It's the snorkeling area and you need swim shoes to be able to swim there because of the rocks. Oh, in case you are wondering what the bungalows are. They are basically a building the size of a shed that is air conditioned. It has a table and chairs in it so you can eat without being in the heat. I knew what I was getting, but I was worried about having shade on the island. I find that not to be a problem. You can most certainly do without this. I opted for the VIP package and we were served a lobster inspired lunch by our attendant. Bottled water, a (key word "a") free cocktail was included in this along with priority tendering tickets. It was way too much food. If we ever return, we'd just opt for the bungalow itself should we feel the need to do so. Rumor has it they'll grab food from the grill for you. Roaming drink waiters are plentiful of course.
Casino - I had some fun with this. It was too smokey for me in the late evenings so I had to restrict it to early evening or day time only (total bummer!). I won a little money on the slots.
Not nearly enough to pay for my cruise or anything like that, but it gave me warm and fuzzies to know I was up and not just breaking even or down. Now I secretly wish DCL would put one in though I know that wouldn't be pleasing to some. It can be fun if you don't take it seriously. KWIM?Service: Yes, this was such a mixed bag.
We had an AWESOME room steward. He could be way down the hall and see us emerge and yell for us to have a fun, wonderful or great day. I'd page him and he'd respond within minutes. He's the only one I tipped above and beyond.
We had to call one day about 1/2 the lights in our cabin not working. Well, I waited...waited...and waited a bit more. I called back to see if they contacted maintenance yet. They had. Ok, I have to use the restroom and can't without the lights. You know, there aren't any night lights in there? I also need to take a shower. We have spa appointments. I'm sure the therapists would appreciate a body without sunscreen, etc. So I was told they'd put a rush on it. In the meantime, MIL is in her cabin so I run down to use her bathroom. I come back and wait some more. I called a 3rd time. It's been a few hours now. Why hadn't anyone checked on this? We are the only stateroom with the problem. I will need to shower for dinner after coming back from the spa. My DH prefers not to use the spa locker room for that. Well, they fixed while we were in the spa. No follow up call about fixing it. I guess that's a DCL difference?
Now fast forward 2 nights. We go to dinner and come back to the room. We are getting ready for bed. We hear a knock at the door. Hmmmm, maybe it's someone knocking on the neighbor's door. Nope, it's us. It's 10:00 p.m. or a bit after and the maintenance guy is standing at the door about a broken tub.
What? I told him I know nothing of it. We were never left a message about it from guest services or Dino. I found it really rude to intrude on us like that. He insisted on fixing right then as it would only take a couple of minutes. Um, I'm in my robe and DH is half dressed. I called him to make sure he was decent before letting him in. Never once did they call me about the lights or this tub even.
We were on anytime dining. The service was slow going. We had one good waiter and I kept trying to convince DH to set up a standing reservation with him but he wouldn't. They sell coke cards but no one wants to get you one. The servers were impersonable and never explained the dishes even if I asked them to. It was always a quick get the beef. Oh, thanks! You would be given menus and they asked immediately do we want something from the bar. Um, I'm sure my 11 year old would like a margarita.
They completely ignored my son and would badger my DH to order beer or a cocktail when he ordered a coke even after DH politely declined a few times. It makes meal time awful the way they do things. No "May I get you something to drink?" Or "May I get you something to drink while you go over the menu?" Then they wouldn't refill sodas. Most of the time we had to ask, but they kept my wine glass filled without effort. Twice they totally skipped my MIL for her drink order and I had to flag them back down. At the end of the cruise I ordered a glass of wine but told them to bring the sodas and tea for them first. They looked at me like I had a 3rd eye or something. And that's just the drink saga! Then when they'd come back I guess for you to order your meal a while later but not before they stand over you and look at you without saying a peep. Then they finally say "What do you want?" or "What's your order?" Am I at McD's? We made it through it and needless to say we are very disappointed in the dining room service. If I had to guess, traditional dining is much better. The waiters there feel they have a better chance at earning additional gratuity so they take care of guests. I guess us anytime diners are a pain and just cheap. Let's talk about the buffet. The food was very, very tasty. But be prepared and I mean very prepared for what you will walk into there. It's a confusing set up. 4 points of entry/exit with the stations kind of all over. Then there is limited seating. I had guy run in front of to grab the table I was headed for.
People rushing around you, getting in front of you to get something from a dish...you get the scene. We endured this for breakfast because the breakfast buffet was better than the dining room's breakfast. Go figure!Pools and Deck Loungers on Sea Days - They have freshwater pools - 2 adults (1 smaller and 1 with a swim against the current feature), 2 main pools and the kids pool. The two main pools are actually deep. If your kids aren't very good swimmers they have a kids pool but it isn't the same. More like a splash pool. DS was disappointed not being able to take advantage of swimming like he had planned on. We always found chairs and never saw where the pools were overcrowded on sea days.
MUTS - What's MUTS? Well, that's Movies Under The Stars. They played a variety of movies. In the evening the lounge chairs are set up with blankeys for a cozy atmosphere. Nice touch.
Activities: Bingo, more bingo, gambling, spa anyone? Where were the activities? They did have a few line dancing classes. The ice-carving was done while people were in port. Their must-do champagne waterfall wasn't a night before a sea day so unless you had late excursions you wouldn't be attending. We wanted to see it but it was held at midnight. We had to be up at 6 a.m. for our fishing excursion. I never had a problem finding something to do on DCL, but I didn't find anything appealing on Princess. They did have their version of Survivors at the pool that was interesting to watch. That's about all I can say.
Kids Over Runneth the Ship - Nope, not on our cruise. However, there substantially less children cruising. They have Youth Security onboard to make sure the kiddos are where they are suppose to be and not in adult areas.
What you might expect from fellow cruisers - Hopefully you'll encounter more families during the peak summer months. We felt we were in the miniority on our sailing. There were a good amount of college age men/women (well behaved really), a noticeable chunk of 70+ and then an good chunk of mid 40's/50's to 70's. I think the just retired crowd ruled the roost on our week. We encountered many that were from different countries which was neat. Of course, we also encountered some grumpiness and some downright rudeness among passengers, too. Much more than I thought there'd be.
Kids Club - My DS loved their kids club. He felt it was better than DCL. I think mainly because he likes just to play board and video games and that was the bulk of their activities. No role playing or anything like that. The staff were warm and friendly. There is no pager system. You have to be comfortable with your kids leaving on their own and have a meeting spot if they can sign themselves in or out. At the end of the week when DS proved he can navigate the ship and with the understanding where his meeting area is then did I let him have those sign in/out priviledges.
Little note: Kids will have charging priviledges. You can't turn it off online prior to embarking and then you have to do it at the purser's desk. I didn't have any issues, but I like the idea of having that option when checking in online like Disney.
Check your bill! They are pretty famous for double charging. I had a double charge that took a while to straighten out. I heard many people being double charged for things or charged for things like water in their room when they hadn't consumed it. It's easy for it to happen so watch it carefully. I'm sure DCL isn't free from this, but I've never discovered errors with their billing.
Like I said, I felt I had prepared myself for the cruiseline difference. Where it was soured was the dining room service and how they handle maintenance issues.
Unless the Jewel of the Seas will be doing the caribbean itineraries. I know - Fat Chance!
