This photo kind of says it all:

Today we landed in Southampton, having completed our first cruise with Princess Cruise Lines, and we were very pleased with the experience.

After 174 days on Viking Ocean ships, and 35 on Holland America Line’s Koningsdam, this 16 day transatlantic cruise was our “test” to see if Princess could become our second choice for cruising. Viking will always be #1 for us, but their price point means that we really can’t make them our only option.

We weren’t unhappy with HAL after our Alaska and Hawaii cruises with them, but we also weren’t pleased enough to stop looking. (Episode 481 – Our HAL Hawaiian Cruise Favourites & Final Impressions).

Honestly, we were prepared to be disappointed with Princess, so this cruise has been an extremely pleasant surprise, and has moved Princess solidly into second position.

Here are the winners (in our very personal, very biased opinions) in the categories that we actually experienced (so casinos, which don’t even exist on Viking, aren’t reviewed), based on the Viking Sky and Star (all Viking Ocean ships are identical), the Regal Princess, and the Holland America Koningsdam.

SHIP

Overall: Viking is our favourite, for its uncluttered venues, abundance of natural light, and clean lines – plus the maximum 930 passengers, all over 18. Princess comes in a close second; it is bright and opulent, but a bit too ornate for my personal taste … and (this is big for us) we’d need to be careful to choose itineraries outside of school holidays to avoid being on a ship full of kids. The Koningsdam with all its traditional wood decor felt very dark.

One of the many pluses to a smaller ship is cabins available on lower decks (low and centre is best for those of us who get seasick). Viking’s balcony cabins start on Deck 3. Princess’ midship balcony cabins start on Deck 9.

Interestingly, the much smaller Viking ship is just as stable as the 3-times larger Koningsdam and Regal. We were given to understand that’s due to the ship’s innovative stabilizer design.

Cabin linens/towels: Viking is hands-down the most luxurious, with HAL second and Princess third.

Standard Balcony cabin layout: the Koningsdam wins for its ample closets and storage; Viking second for its inclusion of seating, coffee table, and makeup mirror table; Princess third because at the equivalent category it is the smallest, with no seating beyond a desk chair.

Bathroom: HAL wins for its ergonomic design. Viking second (although I prefer their soaps and lotions over both other lines), and Princess third because their shower is the smallest of the three and they’re the only one still using a fabric shower curtain instead of glass doors.

Gym: All three ships we’ve been on had great gyms. The advantage to Viking’s is its location down on deck 2 (the Regal’s was on deck 16!) where the ship’s motion is much less in wavy seas than on higher decks.

FOOD! This is where Viking excels. The food in every venue, at every mealtime, is truly first class – ingredients, freshness, variety, and presentation are all far beyond what we experienced on either of the other two lines. The bakers makes their croissants from fresh ingredients (not baked from frozen) every day, for example, all the breads and cakes are created from scratch daily, and chocolate is made on board, as are the 8 varying flavours of gelato… which is not an up-charge! Viking Food

There is no such thing as a food up-charge. Every restaurant venue is included. Steaks, lobster, specialty Italian, sushi and sashimi, pizza, handcrafted burgers … and special events like king crab leg lunches on the pool deck, or tomahawk steak night (with 32 oz Prime USDA steaks – per person, if you can!) are all included.

Afternoon tea in the open-to-the-sky Wintergarden offers more than a dozen teas custom made for each person from tea leaves, fresh finger sandwiches, incredible desserts (like French macarons made in house) and huge true English scones with clotted cream and fruit compote.Viking Afternoon Tea

So, all that said, with Viking taking a clear #1 in every food category here are our (completely personal) comparative HAL/Princess ratings related to food and drinks:

Main Dining Rooms: Princess wins over HAL for plating, portions, service and menus – in fact, it compares favourably to Viking. Ted was especially impressed with how inventive the menu options have been; he’s really enjoyed the cold fruit soups in particular. I’ve been most impressed that Princess’ dessert soufflés have been just as good as those I loved on Viking, and that they’re not afraid to properly spice ethnic dishes.

Buffet: HAL over Princess. Beyond just how convoluted the physical layout of the Princess buffet is, HAL wins breakfast for their crepe station and omelettes you don’t need to wait 15 minutes for. They also win lunch, for the heat (temperature) of their offerings, and the simple logic of having things like cheese slices for sandwiches instead of just cubed cheese.

Poolside Pizza and Burgers: HAL again. Their New York Deli made-to-order pizza options are delicious, and their Dive-In burger station is miles beyond Princess’ Trident Grill; juicy well-seasoned burgers, great dogs, addictive fries, and (the biggest difference) fresh buns!!

Steak House: Princess’ Crown Grill over HAL’s Pinnacle Grill, for the sheer ability to deliver steaks cooked to the right temperature.

Italian Speciality: Princess again. Sabatini’s is a true cut above HAL’s Canaletto, with a really vibrant menu, and stunning ambiance go with it. We agreed it rivalled Viking’s Manfredi’s!

COFFEE: Completely separate from food, coffee is our biggest addiction. Princess wins here, too, over HAL. Not only are there more cafés, but the quality (flavour) and presentation of the specialty coffees was better, and there were more real espresso machines – a barista in virtually every bar, instead of push-button machines. Plus, the International Café was open 24/7 for coffee and snacks!

BARS/DRINKS: Princess again. Instead of HAL’s bars which were virtually indistinguishable from each other, Princess gives each bar a personality – whether it’s the craft cocktails and mixology demonstrations of Good Spirits, the wine-centric drinks in Vines, or the bubbly concoctions in Bellini’s, each of the more than a dozen bars on board has a niche, in addition to serving all the standards (frozen cocktail, anyone?). Another big difference was that if a bar on the Koningsdam ran out of an ingredient, they simply sent you to a different bar, whereas on Princess, what you wanted always came to you, even if a crew member had to go searching for it.

Best Bloody Mary? HAL, even over Viking, but ONLY if it was made in the New York Deli’s adjacent bar on the pool deck.

Best Gin & Tonic? Nothing competes with Viking, mainly because they’re the only cruise line of the three to stock Fevertree Indian Tonic, but again Princess over HAL for their care in mixing ingredients and always asking the passenger’s gin preference.

Now back to categories comparing all 3 cruise lines.

ENTERTAINMENT/ACTIVITIES: All good, but VERY different from each other.

This is maybe even more subjective than food. Ted and I love classical music, acoustic sounds over amplified ones, vocalists over magicians and comedians – but cruise lines need to cater to ALL their passengers. We’re also not card, trivia, or pickleball players, preferring to be able to find a quiet spot to read and watch the ocean. We’re definitely not into art auctions, casinos, or jewelry shows. We DO enjoy destination talks, enrichment lectures, movies, and classes.

All three cruise lines kept us busy and entertained.

HAL had the most impressive theatre, with wrap-around multi-media screens to enhance their shows, but Princess had BY FAR the best production shows, featuring their own cast of 10 dancers, 4 vocalists, and a terrific 7 piece house band. Where Viking excels is with their “destination” performers, dance groups, etc. that board in individual ports of call to share each area’s culture and traditions.

HAL had three separate evening music venues, set up as themed clubs/bars, but only one could run at a time without sound bleeding through. Music tended to happen only in the evening. We loved that Princess had music from early afternoon on every sea day, all in their wide-open Piazza, and a dance band in the Piazza every night. There was also quieter live music (solo guitar, piano, string duo) during the afternoons and evenings in Crooners and the Wheelhouse Bar. By comparison, our beloved Viking also had day-long live music, plus a house band that doubled as late night party band, with 2 fabulous vocalists.

HAL’s live bands in their Rolling Rock Room and BBKing’s were good, and about equivalent to Princess’ two party bands (Waves and Sonic, each with their own singers), but it was Princess’ show band with their outstanding horn section that really impressed us, whether performing on their own or backing guest performers in the theatre.

HAL and Princess each offered an enrichment speaker, and some “behind the scenes” sessions that were really interesting, but in this aspect neither could compare to the wide range of expert lecturers on Viking.

EXCURSIONS: Viking and Princess tie, with excellent value, terrific local guides, great transportation, and – most significantly – really good organization. HAL was a very distant third for their woeful lack of organization on both cruises we took with them.

POOLS/SPA: Each ship has enough pools and hot-tubs for their number of passengers. We didn’t use the spas on HAL or Princess, because access to those had a cost. We did use Viking’s included spa areas (the saunas, plunge pools, spa area hot tubs, spa lounges, and “snow room”, which are all free/included)

CREW/STAFF: Viking first, then Princess over HAL. I’m not sure how they do it, but every staff member manages to smile all the time, no matter how tired they are, or how cranky the passenger with whom they are dealing. HAL staff often seemed exhausted.

PRICE: (excluding flights, but including all our chosen excursions, drinks, and specialty dining). Our Viking Ocean cruises average out at $600CAD per person per day. Our two separate cruises with HAL, Alaska in an ocean-view cabin and Hawaii in a balcony, averaged $300CAD per person per day. Our Princess transatlantic was only about $235CAD per person per day. Even allowing for the fact that transoceanic cruises are often a better deal than other itineraries, Princess is by far the best value.

INCLUSIONS: You can book both Princess and HAL without a drink package, wifi, or prepaid gratuities, but in our opinion the costs of the Princess Plus and HAL Have-It-All are reasonable and worth doing (we can drink enough fancy coffees to make the package worthwhile, even without considering alcohol!) For the significantly higher cost per person per day, on Viking there are virtually no extra costs (you’re on your own for things like haircuts, pedicures, and massages). All the restaurant venues are included. There’s no casino, and no photographer following people around trying to sell photos. ALL non-alcoholic drinks, including specialty coffees, are included, plus generously poured and refilled wine and beer at meals (and at the many on-board special events where champagne flows freely) – even breakfast mimosas. A (good) excursion is included in every port, although you can upgrade to other tour options. On World Cruises, there’s even more: business class flights are included, as well as a full 24/7 drink package, plus luggage shipping, visa services, and generous extra excursion and onboard credits.

BOTTOM LINE

While Viking is still #1 in our hearts (and stomachs), Princess wins in our pocketbooks. We’ll be back. I even caught Ted exploring Princess World Cruises online!