We have sailed on Carnival and RC and have greatly enjoyed both. I was looking at Princess and was intrigued by some of the prices.....ie roughly $1100 per person for a mini suit....this seems too good to be true....can anyone tell me about Princess and if possible any comparisons to RC and Carnival? We are late 20's early 30's but don't necessarily need the 'party life' of a ship with all young people.

It seems that the demographics depend on the time of year and the length of the cruise. We've only sailed on NCL, RCL, Carnival, Costa, HAL, and Princess. So far, to me, Princess does it best. The ships are immaculate, the service is impeccable, and the food is better than most other lines. We've only sailed on the Sun class ships, the Sea (2), the Dawn, and the Sun (2). The Sea is my favorite. We've booked the Emerald for next November and I'm so excited. She's the sister ship to the Crown and will be making her maiden voyage in April 2007. On our last cruise on the Sun in October, there was a great mix of age groups, definitely not all senior citizens. They're not the party ship atmosphere although there is plenty to do. You don't have rock climbing or the florider, but they do have activities. They have fresh water pools as well as a gym. Some of the ships have Movies Under the Stars, which is a great way to end a day. We were on a 14 day a couple of years ago and the crowd seemed to be mainly 50s+, last cruise was a great mix 20s and up (it was a 10 day). I don't think you'll be disappointed in Princess. Best wishes and Happy Holidays!

Hello Mandi,
penny3333 and I are two of Princess' biggest fans; but penny has been on a lot of other lines so she is your "go-to girl" for comparisons. I have only been on Princess (except for one cruise on the old Independence) so I can only speak to them.
But I can tell you from my first cruise in 1974 on the original Island Princess to my last cruise in March on Sapphire Princess I have never been dissapointed or had a bad experience.
You mention mini-suite; we booked one for the first time on our last cruise and it was just about $1100 for the 7 day Mexican Riviera; and it was well worth the extra $300 over the balcony cabin. The larger bathroom with the tub and the extra closet space alone were worth the extra price: but add in the sitting room, the larger balcony and the two T.V.s and you have a real bargain.
I could go on and on. . . but if you would like to know more,
penny and I are always eager to talk about cruising in general and Princess in particular.
Let us know what you decide.

Thanks to both of you for the great info!! I LOVE the thought of a mini suite (can't afford it on any other line) my only concern is we always book a balcony room in the past and really enjoy having the bed right next to the balcony and I see in the mini suite the sitting area is next to the balcony and the bed is more in the middle of the room. Do they ever rearrange the room if you request it? I know that seems like an odd question but I know some cruise lines will do just about anything to make sure you are happy.

We haven't been able to afford a mini-suite, but I'm sure they'd do what they could to make you comfortable, including rearranging the furniture if at all possible. I love the balcony rooms, but like f-mattox said, the mini-suite is much larger. If someone gives me the winning lottery numbers, or I stay out of the casino, or don't drink, maybe I will check out a mini-suite. Best wishes!

Mandi: Which itinerary or ship are you considering? Having sailed the Caribbean on RC, Carnival, and Princess, the recommendations given are right on the money. The specials Princess offers on balconies and suites on certain sailings cannot be beat! I would recommend you choose your cabin mid ship to aft, or even on the very rear overlooking the ships wake. The Caribbean Princess, in particular, does not handle rough seas as smoothly as the others. If you are truly looking to "escape completely" you will love Princess. You can always find and go to the party, if you want to join in, because all ages will be present. We were on CP in March and had a wonderful time. Since you've already tried Carnival and RCCL, give Princess a shot and then you'll know for sure!

As far as moving the bed into the sitting area, only Princess could answer that for you; it never occurred to me. The sofa, table and chairs are moveable, as are the beds (twin/queen); however there may be some safety regulation preventing it. But, the sofa folds out to a full size bed, so that may be your solution. I'm sure they will try to work with you to make you comfortable.

We would probably be doing the Southern Caribbean for our next cruise. For the price we have paid for a balcony in the past, the mini suite is only a couple hundred more which concerned me....why so inexpensive??? I don't mean to sound snobby with the moving of the furniture, we just enjoy being right next to the balcony so we can hear the ocean and get a nice breeze in the room. Any recommendations for the southern Caribbean.....

There will be nothing at all wrong with the suite. There are several times during the year when Princess offers unbelieveable rates and you have found that time! I suppose it is to attract cruisers from lesser cost lines and win them over. Caribbean Princess is great out of Ft Lauderdale..close to the airport, great ports of St Thomas and St Maarten, and Princess Cays..one of the prettiest cruise ship beaches I have seen. Carnival does basically the same itinerary on Triumph with a stop in San Juan. I personally would trade the stop in San Juan for the day in Princess Cays anytime!

If you want to give Princess a try, Crown Princess has two different 7 day Southern Caribbean itineraries and Sun and Dawn Princess each has a 10 day southern itinerary. I think the ever-growing number of ships is this market is what is keeping fares down; but don't try to analyze it--just take advantage of it.
Just a note: mini-suites on the Sun Class ships are larger and more expensive than the Grand Class ships.