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The Cruise Lines
Princess cruises are, obviously, run by Princess Cruise Line. Its ships are somewhat more upscale and luxurious than Carnival, Royal Caribbean, or NCL. The 80s Cruises in the past and near future charter ships by Royal Caribbean. Royal tends to hit middle America hard with limited pretense or luxury.
The Ships
Princess 80s themed cruises are on four different ships – Discovery Princess, Sapphire Princess, Regal Princess, and Ruby Princess. Discovery is the newest ship of this group, with all the new features and a bit of that new ship smell. It also holds the most passengers. Regal Princess is relatively new (about 10 years old). Ruby Princess was built in 2008, and Sapphire is the oldest and smallest – built in 2004.
The 80s Cruise (TEC) in 2022 went on the Mariner of the Seas, and in 2023 will use the Navigator of the Seas. Both ships are about 20 years old, but well maintained, and hold about 3100 passengers at double occupancy.
The Itineraries
As befits their ship diversity, Princess runs several different routes – Bahamas, Western Caribbean (Mexico), and West Coast (San Diego and Ensenada). All are either four or five days.
In 2022, TEC went to Nassau, Bahamas (winds were too strong – we didn’t dock), St. Thomas, and Sint Maarten. In 2023, TEC will head to Puerto Vallarta, Cabo San Lucas, and Ensenada. Both are 7 days.
The Bands
Princess has tribute bands of some famous acts (Journey, Bon Jovi, etc.) performing in the main theater. There are also some performers scattered around the ship at various times that will perform 80s music but aren’t wedded to it.
TEC had over 15 bands performing all over the place. There were two shows in the main theater every night. There were also performances at various times in two smaller indoor theaters and at a stage by the pool. Often two or more shows would be happening at the same time. Almost all the performers did two shows during the cruise.
Trivia and Other Entertainment
Princess has a fair amount of 80s trivia, but they also had general trivia and trivia from other eras. They also had traditional cruise shows in the main theater and a comedian. There was also other kinds of shows elsewhere befitting a cruise ship and not necessarily part of the 80s era.
TEC had some trivia and other entertainment, but not as much as Princess. It was all 80s-related – all the better for immersion, in my humble opinion.
Both cruises had karaoke, background music from the 80s, and VODs featuring television shows and movies from the 80s.
Booking the cruise
The Princess cruises are publicly available to be booked by any method – directly through their Web site or by phone; using an online travel agent or a traditional one.
TEC can only be booked directly. Travel agents can book for their clients, but it won’t show up on their listings unless they’re told about it or specifically looking for it.
Who can cruise?
Princess’ themed cruises are available to anyone – including kids. There will probably be lots of people on these cruises who don’t care about the 80s theme at all and are just looking for a generic cruise.
TEC doesn’t allow anyone on the ship that’s under 21. Their price and relative difficulty in booking access would seem to ensure that only people with a high interest in the decade of the 80s or several of the performers will be on the cruise.
Costs and perks
Princess doesn’t charge a premium for being a themed cruise; it’s more or less the same price as other cruises with similar itineraries. They have three package levels, each with a level of perks in exchange for paying more (or less) at the time.
TEC’s base price includes a drink package, but the cruise price is roughly twice the base per day rate of the Princess cruises.
Conclusions
It’s not up to me to make decisions for you. This post wasn’t designed to show one cruise experience to be superior to the other. Princess and its 80s themed cruises will cost less but be shorter and less immersive. The 80s Cruise offers real bands and an escape back to the past – just like one of the most famous movies of the era promised.