A longtime Princess cruiser tries out Royal Caribbean

As a bit of a counterpoint to the recent thread where a RCCL diehard recently tried out Princess, I just got back a couple of days ago from my first RCCL cruise (on Vision of the Seas) after years of sailing exclusively on Princess. Rather than reposting the review here I'll go ahead and link to it, but the short version is that RCCL has some aspects that I like and some I didn't like much, but ultimately I found the experience (minus any of the big-ship Wow factor that you'd find on the Oasis or Quantum class ships) pretty comparable.

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2345348

We just returned from our second Royal Caribbean cruise recently (Oasis of the Seas, then Navigator of the Seas). We are now Platinum on RCI.

The experiences reinforced our love of Princess. While there was a wow factor on Oasis, Navigator is closer to the size of Princess ships, therefore imo a better comparison.

Not that we had a "bad cruise". It was enjoyable, but there were a number of quality items that we are used to on Princess that are lacking on RCI. Bread on the table at dinner. Butter pats, not wrapped chunks. Chocolates on the pillows. MUCH more storage space in Princess staterooms. Onboard stores that cater to middle class tastes and with more variety of useful items. International Cafe. Crooners!

There are a few things on RCI that I wish Princess would emulate. The sliding doors on the showers instead of curtains, for one. And I really enjoyed the British style pub! But I hope Princess NEVER goes to the annoying RCI system of checking out and back in every pool towel! What a PITA!

With our history of cruising, it is now a matter of interesting itinerary and scheduling, but Princess will always have the edge in consideration. It's simply a better quality experience.

Interesting... we started off our cruising with RCCL, back in the l980s... when they started to build bigger ship in the late l980s, we were able to take a tour on a new ship in San Francisco in port via our TA... cabins were smaller, beds less than standard size and very small balconies at the time. So we never went back to RCCL... we cruised on Princess, HAL, Cystal, Cunard, NCL, Celebrity... prefer Princess, HAL, and the smaller Cunard ships presently.

What is the alcohol policy on RCCL by the way? We like being able to bring wine on board.... don't know if RCCL allows?

Interesting... we started off our cruising with RCCL, back in the l980s... when they started to build bigger ship in the late l980s, we were able to take a tour on a new ship in San Francisco in port via our TA... cabins were smaller, beds less than standard size and very small balconies at the time. So we never went back to RCCL... we cruised on Princess, HAL, Cystal, Cunard, NCL, Celebrity... prefer Princess, HAL, and the smaller Cunard ships presently.

 

What is the alcohol policy on RCCL by the way? We like being able to bring wine on board.... don't know if RCCL allows?

Royal Caribbean allows one bottle of wine or champagne per person like Pruncess. What's different is that they DON'T charge a fee to open and pour your bottle in the dining room.

We also started with RCI in 1986. My first big RCI ship experience will be in July on the Liberty of the Seas. It will be interesting to compare to the 2 recent Princess ships I have been on.

Royal Caribbean allows one bottle of wine or champagne per person like Pruncess. What's different is that they DON'T charge a fee to open and pour your bottle in the dining room.

What is the alcohol policy on RCCL by the way? We like being able to bring wine on board.... don't know if RCCL allows?

If I recall correctly from a February 2013 cruise on the Navigator OTS this is a change because there was a corkage fee for the 1 bottle per person if consumed in a dining room.

Q: Does Royal Caribbean charge a corkage fee?

A: No. Guests wishing to bring personal wine and champagne onboard may do so only on boarding day, limited to two (2) 750 ml bottles per stateroom. No beer or hard liquor may be brought onboard for consumption.

Additional bottles of wine beyond two (2) bottles that are brought onboard or any alcoholic beverages purchased in ports of call or from onboard shops during the cruise vacation will be stored onboard and delivered to guest staterooms on the last day of the sailing.

http://www.royalcaribbean.com/customersupport/faq/details.do?pagename=frequently_asked_questions&faqId=5442&faqSubjectId=336

We enjoyed RCCL's free Seattle's Best coffee machines much more than the coffee from concentrate on Princess but thought the buffet's filtered coffee on the Royal & Regal made from ground coffee was as good as SB.

RCCL works well for any multigenerational cruises my family sails but we preferred the Princess food. I enjoyed the ice skating performances on the Navigator OTS & for us RCCL is only behind Princess for our preferred mass market cruise line.

Thanks OP for your comparison between Princess & RCCL. :)

While RCCL allows two 750 ml bottles of wine per stateroom (assuming two adults in the cabin) and does not charge a corkage fee to be consumed in the MDR, Princess allows two bottles per stateroom (2 adults) free of any corkage fee if consumed in the cabin and they allow more bottles to be brought onboard for a $15 corkage fee per bottle which can then be taken to the MDR. RCCL will only allow the two bottles when first embarking the ship while Princess will allow more wine to be brought onboard at any port with a $15 corkage fee.

RCCL changed their policy of no alcohol brought onboard only a year of so ago most likely due to the competition allowing wine.

We just returned from our second Royal Caribbean cruise recently (Oasis of the Seas, then Navigator of the Seas). We are now Platinum on RCI.

 

The experiences reinforced our love of Princess. While there was a wow factor on Oasis, Navigator is closer to the size of Princess ships, therefore imo a better comparison.

 

Not that we had a "bad cruise". It was enjoyable, but there were a number of quality items that we are used to on Princess that are lacking on RCI. Bread on the table at dinner. Butter pats, not wrapped chunks. Chocolates on the pillows. MUCH more storage space in Princess staterooms. Onboard stores that cater to middle class tastes and with more variety of useful items. International Cafe. Crooners!

 

There are a few things on RCI that I wish Princess would emulate. The sliding doors on the showers instead of curtains, for one. And I really enjoyed the British style pub! But I hope Princess NEVER goes to the annoying RCI system of checking out and back in every pool towel! What a PITA!

With our history of cruising, it is now a matter of interesting itinerary and scheduling, but Princess will always have the edge in consideration. It's simply a better quality experience.

you actually only had to do that once, beginning and last night. In between you can just exchange them

Both are mass market lines and more alike then different. RCL is higher energy and has more to do. Princess is more subtle and laid back. I cruise either one depending on itinerary. When RCL left the west coast I started booking more with Princess.

Both are mass market lines and more alike then different. RCL is higher energy and has more to do. Princess is more subtle and laid back. I cruise either one depending on itinerary.

Agree with this observation 100%. For us, when cruising with extended family with small children usually Royal Caribbean is a better fit due to the children's water splash areas, parades, ice show, etc.

I have cruised both lines. After our last cruise on RCCL, we had enough of it. Out of our seven RCCL cruise none of the food has come close to Princess's food for our taste. I did not like RCCL sea days lunch in the main dinning room. I love Princess's IC. I think Princess is more to our taste in cruising. I love the string quartet on Princess. My favorite ship is Regal Princess, we have all ready been on her five times. I really have not been on a Princess cruise that I did not like.

Our first three cruises were with RCI.

The third Cruise was the last one.

When we arrived at the terminal in Vancouver to go to Alaska the Wife signed in first with no problem.

They had no record of me having a reservation. It took over 40 minutes jumping through hoops, showing RCI paper work with my name on it confirming my reservation, going up the food chain of supervisors to finally being allowed to board the ship.

The boarding pass they gave me would not open the cabin door and I was turned away from a bar because the card did not work.

Spent more time at the passenger service desk convincing them that I was not a stow away.

Then to add to the fun I had two expense accounts that kept messing up the amounts which took more time to get straitened out.

Been a Princess fan ever since.

Bob

We are Elite on Princess and Diamond Plus on Royal

Every evening on Royal you can go to the lounge from 4.30pm to 8pm and have FREE drinks and great hot and cold finger foods. Or you can use your 3 free coupons during this time frame and get FREE drinks at any bar.

When will princess do this?? This is a huge benefit and it makes is hard for us to choice a Princess cruise over Royal. Yes we also get free internet and free laundry on Royal as well. As well as 350$ per cruise of the cost of a balcony cabin on Royal

It really makes it hard to go with Princess.

We are Elite on Princess and Diamond Plus on Royal

 

Every evening on Royal you can go to the lounge from 4.30pm to 8pm and have FREE drinks and great hot and cold finger foods. Or you can use your 3 free coupons during this time frame and get FREE drinks at any bar.

 

When will princess do this?? This is a huge benefit and it makes is hard for us to choice a Princess cruise over Royal. Yes we also get free internet and free laundry on Royal as well. As well as 350$ per cruise of the cost of a balcony cabin on Royal

 

 

It really makes it hard to go with Princess.

Does RCCL give you a bag of laundry or is it unlimited (wash, iron and dry cleaning) like Princess does?

Does RCCL give you a bag of laundry or is it unlimited (wash, iron and dry cleaning) like Princess does?

If it is a 7 day cruise just one bag But if it is an 10 or 11 day cruise it is when ever you want to send out the bag of laundry just like Princess.

We have sailed on both Princess and RC. I do not put Princess nearly on the same level as RC. Imo it is more like Carnival. First, princess ships always seemed extremely crowded. oftentimes we couldn't get seats in the lounges or theaters. the pool area's were so crowded, we paid to have seats in the Sanctuary which was lovely, but expensive. Food was fair. Princess had fewer specialty restaurants. The entertainment on princess was fair and nothing like Royal We have saild on the Oasis, Freedom and quantum class on RC. Love the Oasis and Freedom class, not so much the Quantum class.

I found the best part of the princess cruises we sailed on was the mini suites and oceanview suites. To each his/her own. Good that we all have choice. overall our favorite cruise line which checks our important boxes is Celebrity.

After reading this thread I have a question. Which line would you choose for family vacation to Alaska? Princess or Royal Caribbean?

After reading this thread I have a question. Which line would you choose for family vacation to Alaska? Princess or Royal Caribbean?

No question, I would definitely choose Princess with an itinerary that goes to Glacier Bay. GLacier Bay is operated by the National Park Service with limited cruise ship access, and unless things have changed Royal Caribbean does not have access,. For us Glacier bay was one of the highlights of the cruise. Not only did we see wildlife and glaciers fairly close, but a park ranger comes on board and narrates.

After reading this thread I have a question. Which line would you choose for family vacation to Alaska? Princess or Royal Caribbean?

I'd pick the itinerary rather than the ship for Alaska

After reading this thread I have a question. Which line would you choose for family vacation to Alaska? Princess or Royal Caribbean?

I have done Princess and RCCL in Alaska. Hands down, Princess. RCCL had no enrichment programs what so ever and they can't go to Glacier Bay.

I have done Princess and RCCL in Alaska. Hands down, Princess. RCCL had no enrichment programs what so ever and they can't go to Glacier Bay.

I enjoyed the Princess naturalist & enrichment lectures such as by Libby Riddles the first female winner of the Iditarod sled race.

http://www.princess.com/learn/cruise-destinations/alaska-cruises/north-to-alaska/

Glad to see this thread. We started cruising on Princess but changed to RCI many years ago. We're now Diamond and really appreciate the 3 free drinks at night, discounts, and their ships (have not been on any of the mega ships and probably will not). However, their service has just gotten terrible. We recently spent 10 days on Serenade OTS and had so many problems that really tainted our vacation. We're going on Coral Princess for a short cruise in a week and we'll compare our experiences before booking our next longer trip.

Each of these cruise lines is part of a major cruise operator. Royal is the bottom of the pecking order, while Princess is one step up -- so it would be more comparable to try Celebrity. Depending on the cruise date, bargain pricing can bring Celebrity below Princess (or not). The size and ambience of Celebrity ships is more comparable to Princess (except Royal/Regal). So if Princess itineraries are getting old hat, this would be another option -- except for Alaska (only Princess can do Glacier Bay) and the Panama Canal (Celebrity doesn't do partial transits into Gatun Lake).

So if Princess itineraries are getting old hat, this would be another option -- except for Alaska (only Princess can do Glacier Bay) and the Panama Canal (Celebrity doesn't do partial transits into Gatun Lake).

HAL and NCL go regularly to Glacier Bay. Carnival will go maybe 2x a year and I believe Crystal has a few permits into Glacier Bay.

We will never Go on RCCL again. Gave my Critique once. They were pretty sloppy tho.

In my experience Princess cruises rank far below Royal Caribbean. I find Royal Caribbean much more fun and festive. Royal Caribbean is much more organized and does a better job at embarkation, dining venues, entertainment venues, excursions, and disembarkation. A well run ship makes for a better cruise experience. Just my opinion from my personal experience.

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