Carnival Cruise vs. Princess Cruise?

Question

Hello! I am turning 21 this November : ) and am planning on taking a cruise with my Best Friend (a guy). We are planning on going at the end of Nov. or very beginning of Dec. We are going to take a 7 day cruise to Mexico.

-First of all, are those months okay weather in Mexico?

-Which is better? Carnival cruise or Princess cruise? I of course want something fun since I'm turning 21 but I also appreciate a clean place and good food!

-Which cruise line offers more fun activities onboard?

**And the biggest questions is do we need a passport to leave the Los Angeles port on the cruise to Mexico in Nov or Dec 07?!**

Please help! THANK YOU! : )

Answer 1

1. Princess by FAR is the best Cruiseline.
2. No you will not need a passport to cruise in NOV/DEC 07.

The weather is perfect in Mexico year around.

Happy Sailing.

PS. Book a cabin that is midship, midship cabins dont rock as much as the other cabins do.

Answer 2

I will answer the most important question first.

You DO NOT need a passport IF your cruise leaves from California and regardless of where it stop, it ALSO returns to California (OR any part of the US .. any US state) BEFORE December 31, 2007.

But, if your cruise returns to the US AFTER December 31, 2007 then you will need a passport. The new passport law requiring ALL who enter the US by car, train, bus, plane or cruise ship to have a passport goes into effect on January 1, 2008. Unless your cruise ends in Ensenada your cruise ship stop there is more than likely a regulatory stop; only to meet a regulatory requirement that all US cruise ships stop in a foreign port. That is usually the case in cruises from the west coast of the US.

Carnival and Princess cruise lines are actually owned by the same company; actually Carnival owns Princess. BUT, Carnival is the budget cruise line and the one that most young people ages 21 to about 35 go on, and also the ship that most first time cruiser go on. Its the party cruise line by reputation and actual. People who go say that they have a great time on Carnival ships (for the most part).

Princess is a more upscale cruise line and that means the cabins are a little better, the food is a little better and the ship has a more reserved crowd. Now that does not mean that the people, many of whom will be in the 40 to 65 age range, do not have a great time. There will be some young people on the Princess ship but not as many as on Carnival. I have been on three Princess ships and they have great discos and lounges and the people have a great time. You just do not see people staggering down the hall or being loud at the pool areas.

If I were making the selection I would go with princess since I absolutely loved all three of their ships that I have been on.

We did the cruise to the Mexico Rivera, Cabo, Acapulco, and Puerta Vallarta in October 2004. The weather was great with one exception. The sailing was smooth and the weather was very pleasant but a hurricane came across Mexico and dissipated near one of our planned port stops. Because of that they diverted the ship to a different port. But we never had any bad weather, not even rain and it was sunny and warm enough to sit on the balcony or most anywhere on decks all day long.

Since your cruise date is outside the hurricane time frame you should not have to worry about any of that type weather. My bet is that you will have great weather for the whole cruise like we did.

Answer 3

First you will not need a passport to enter Mexico or re-enter the US. The new laws go into effect in January. The cruise line will require a photo ID and an original (or stamped copy) birth certificate. The new laws regarding air travel and passports are now in effect so if for some reason you need to fly back to the US from Mexico you will have a problem without a passport so it is always a good idea to get one. They have resolved the backlog issue so you still have time. I would recommend you go in December instead of November. November is the tail end of Hurricane season but by December it is all over. The best prices are usually the first week of December. I went to the Caribbean side of Mexico last December and the weather was quite nice.(Of course I'm from Maine so I have a different idea of warm than you might have.)
For two young guys in their 20's I would recommend Carnival over Princess (The reality is Carnival owns Princess) since it will have more of a party atmosphere than Princess and will have many more passengers in your age bracket. Enjoy.

Answer 4

First, taking a cruise is a great idea. I have been on 14 and have loved everyone of them. I have cruised to Mexico a couple of times. Weather in Mexico will be great at that time. I prefer Princess over Carnival because I am more interested in the cruising experience. Carnival is good but is more of a 'party' ship. The food on Princess will be significantly better, and on Princess ships the food is available 24 hours a day.
Carnival probably has more on board activities, but Princess has its share as well.
Check with the cruise company but you will likely need a passport. Here is what the Princess site says...'Please be advised that while originally the U.S. Department of State regulations stipulated that passports would be needed by January 8, 2007 for land and sea travel, recently passed legislation has deferred this date until at least January 1, 2008. However, all passengers traveling by air between the U.S. and Canada, Mexico, Central and South America, the Caribbean, and Bermuda will still be required to present a valid U.S. passport beginning January 23, 2007. Even if your cruise does not involve air travel outside the U.S., should you be required to unexpectedly depart a vessel prior to the end of the sailing, a passport would be required to re-enter the U.S. by air. As such, Princess Cruises continues to strongly recommend that all passengers are in possession of a passport by January 23, 2007. Information regarding the passport requirements is available at www.travel.state.gov. Foreign nationals should contact their governments for further details.

Hope all this helps.

Answer 5

The weather will be bautiful, and because of your age I would pick Carival. Its known as the fun ship. I have cruised Carnival 4 times. They offer all types of activities all day and all thrugh the night. I went to Mexico in January and it was 8 degrees. You will love it. Princess Cruises are nice also, but become more upscale with people in their 40's to 50's, nto saying thats bad, because Im 43, Im just a young 43 and I like a party ship and a good time. Have fun.

Answer 6

you wont need a passport before Dec 07, but after Jan 08 you will. I would suggest that you get a passport anyway the prices are going to be going up. It has been taking 8-12 weeks to get them back. The weather will be a little cooler those months but still nice enough for swimming and outdoor stuff. You may need a light jacket on the ship at night. Carnival has great food and stuff to do all day and night. night/dance clubs,Piano bars more laid back clubs. Activities all day on the lido deck. That's where the pools usually are. 24 hour buffet. Casinos. almost anything you want to do depending on the ship. check out www.mysunnydaygetaway.com for great prices on cruises

Answer 7

To me there is no comparison. Princess is the better cruise line. However, there are many more cruiselines that I would recommend. Be careful of the hidden costs onboard some of the cheaper lines. Frequently your onboard cruise tab is as high as the cruise itself...better to buy from a better cruise line and not pay extra for EVERYTHING.
I too advise you get a midship cabin.
You do not need a passport but you should have proof of citezenship with you - and you will need a passport for almost everywhere soon - so get one anyway I say.

Answer 8

You will not need a passort if you go in 2007.
Carnival is more for your age group - Princess is more relaxed and layed back.
You should definately go with Carnival. The weathers will be hot.

Answer 9

I have only been on Carnival but I know someone who has been on both and she said Princess is nicer.

Answer 10

I will give you some advice, don't go on neither and choose P&O Cruises which sale to the carribbean and mexico which is great and the cruiseboats are a lot better than the competition, so take my advice and go to P&O i have 3 times and they are brilliant