Royal Caribbean vs Princess - JMO

I intended to do a marvelous section by section comparison, but as I set out to write it, I kept finding myself finding similarities rather than differences.

 

All embarkation ports are pretty much the same. Some operate a little more efficiently than others, but infitesimally so. We had no problems in Red Hook, the new cruise terminal in Brooklyn that Princess and Cunard are using. We had to wait about half an hour before boarding, but we had found CC buddies, so we didn't really notice the passage of time.

 

Photographers were a SHADE less annoying on Princess. They had that damned Pirate with the Parrot, but instead of pestering you at your dining room table, he pestered you as you left the dining room. The good news: Nancy and I strangled the parrot, and made them take our picture like that. :D There was a Princess photographer IN Dunns River Falls when we got to the top!

 

Anytime dining - I tried it, I liked it, but I chalk that up to the company. I would have been perfectly happy in traditional dining. They were sticklers about checking to be sure that you weren't a traditional dining escapee eating in the anytime dining rooms. Since I was traveling without my kids (now 18 & 20), the time flexibility was nice, but my kids and I like to bond with our tablemates. Instead, I bonded with my CC group.

 

Pool games - not my cup of tea, but they exist on both lines, despite the claims by some Princess cheerleaders that Princess doesn't have such low class entertainment.

 

Daily activities - nod to Princess here. Maybe I just missed them all in the RC Cruise Compass, but there seemed to be WAY more of the trivia game, game show type stuff on Princess. WAAAAAAAAAAAAAY more. I did Passenger Feud, Jeopardy, Princess Price is Almost Right, two or three trivia contests a day, Spelling Bee@Sea. I met LOTS of nice people and had a blast doing them. Princess PopStar may be hokey, but it's FUN, and Nancy was fantastic!

 

Food quality - incredibly subjective. I'll break it down into two areas:

Buffet - RC, hands down. The Windjammer is just head and shoulders above Horizon Court for navigability. On the Crown Princess, it is broken up into about four totally separate areas, which were NOT serving the same food. It was very hard to walk around and see what was being served in an area, and people GLARED at you like you were trying to butt into line AND deprive them of required nourishment. The salad bar DID have quality and varied ingredients, but it was hard to locate WHICH of the areas had the "good" one, and the dressings were sub-standard.

Dining Rooms - edge to Princess. On RC, I rarely can't find something I like, but also rarely find myself in a quandary over which of several to select. On Princess, I often ordered THREE first courses because they all looked "that good", and I was only disappointed twice. (out of seven nights) A couple of times, I ordered "part" of a second main course, and both were incredibly delicious. On lobster night, I instinctively order two. <sigh> It turned out that an order WAS two, so I had FOUR lobster tails. They were SO much larger and better than any lobster tails I have had on RC. (not as good as fresh Maine lobster of course, but that's not what we're comparing) Then Simon brought more - they HAD to get rid of them. This was the cruise with the list, and they weren't going to have passengers for at least 4 days, and who knows when the next lobster night was going to be? I would say that two main courses out of a total of 9 were just ok. One was my own fault - Nik TOLD me not to get it, but I ignored him.

 

Service - with few exceptions, I have always encountered superlative service on a cruise. It's why I cruise. The crew of the Crown Princess was very good. I'd call this category a draw, with a slight edge to Royal Caribbean. Our own cabin steward was of the top rank, but I encountered a few rude bar servers and a couple of stick-up-the-butt CD staff members. I also encountered some indifferent pool attendants, who openly refused to do their job, and a grill guy who neglected to make my burger. :( Ok, I take it back. Royal Caribbean wins in the service category. :D

 

Cabin - point to Royal Caribbean. We were in a BB cabin, which in square footage is close to a Category E. The storage space and utilization of available space is so far superior on Royal Caribbean, it's a slam dunk. We visited in a mini-suite, and I feel that the JS on RC is superior to this layout also. (though I like the two flat-panel TVs in the Princess mini-suite)

 

Balcony - you have to choose your balcony very carefully on a Princess ship, because some of them are TOTALLY exposed to the decks above. It's much more of an issue of covered/non-covered. Point to Royal Caribbean.

 

Shops - just like the malls of 21st century America, close your eyes, and you wouldn't know which ship or cruiseline you were on.

 

Casino - at first, the Princess casino looked just as big, but it's not. There were very few (relatively speaking) quarter slots. It felt odd to have to battle for the few machines. It SEEMED smokier to me, also, than the casinos on Royal Caribbean. Perhaps RC has better venting systems? I don't know.

 

Bars - Princess bartenders pour very carefully, using measuring glasses. You give them a look and flash cash, you can get a double, but you'll be charged the price of a double. On Royal Caribbean, that little maneuver will almost always get you plenty of free liquor. Disappointing, and BIG edge to Royal Caribbean.

 

MUTS - you can keep it. I think it's bad enough that there ARE movies on a ship. Heck, if you can't find something BETTER to do on a ship than watch a movie........... At least RC keeps it hidden away in an interior space. Or your cabin.

 

Adult pool areas - point to Royal Caribbean. I just think that the Solarium area is far nicer than the Terrace Pool on the Crown Princess.

Lotus Spa Pool - RC has nothing like it - it has a swim-against-the-current feature - point to Princess.

 

Spa - see comment for "Shops" above.

 

Pizza - Royal Caribbean's pizza sucks. Princess' is edible. Point to Princess.

 

Loungers - A chair hog is a chair hog is a chair hog. I think that they may have been a little worse on Princess, but once you get past a certain point, I'm not sure that it matters. The lounge chairs themselves are a little nicer, but the Crown Princess is only a month old. They were WAY too close together, however. Literally right up against one another. You had to "mount" it in order to lie down.

 

Wine - Princess' policy is much more civilized - they let you bring on wine at your pleasure. But their corkage fee is FIFTEEN DOLLARS. (half a point to Royal Caribbean) Their wine list, however, is a better list at a lower markup than RC. Point to Princess.

 

Beds - brand new, but not "special" on Princess. I hate the narrower-than-a-twin bed. I usually have it made up as a queen and share with my daughter, but Nancy and I decided to keep the beds apart. :D NOT COMFORTABLE AT ALL. Ok, the comforter is soft, but doesn't stay on the little bitty bed, and it was sometimes too warm to have it on anyway.

 

Bathroom - except for storage, almost a draw. I'll give the edge to Royal Caribbean, though, for having detachable shower heads for spraying body parts more easily. Princess had fixed shower heads - and shower curtains, though curved outwards for less stick'um. Oh, Princess had little paper/cardboard shampoo, conditioner and lotion - beats the icky dispensers on RC, but I always take my own anyway.

 

Over the door hanging shoebag - edge to RC - we had to fiddle with it to get the bathroom door to close - no such problem on Royal Caribbean.

 

Safe - we didn't speak to anyone who DIDN'T have trouble with their safe, including us. Never had a problem with a Royal Caribbean safe. Point to RC.

 

Entertainment - each night's entertainment was different, some performances were better than others, so that a ranking of specific acts would be an intermingling of the cruiselines. I will say that Princess repeats the production shows, but that may be a factor of the nine-night cruise, as opposed to the week-long cruise. I will give Princess the edge with its own dancers, but edge to RC's singers. There is nothing like the International Crew Show on RC, and I loved this on Princess. On any given night, there were more "performance" options on Princess than on RC. I liked that. Edge to Princess.

 

Late Night - I found far more Night Owls, like myself, on RC than on Princess. It "closed down" much earlier. Point to Royal Caribbean.

 

Ship's Excursions - We did two through Princess, and both were good. The ones that I have taken through RC were good, too. The ones that we schedule on our own are always better. We only use ship's excursions when there are no viable private options.

 

Cash - HUGE edge to Royal Caribbean. You can walk into the Casino and get cash any time that you want it at no charge. It just goes on your SeaPass as an "entertainment" charge, and you even get points on your credit card, if that's what you are using to cover your onboard account! If you want to do that on Princess, there's a 3% fee. Yuck. I had to bring quantities of cash on board with me.

 

Gratuities - Princess automatically charges your account $10 each day. I think that this is fair, and eliminates the deadbeats. You are always free to give some cash to people who deserve it. I was apprehensive about the level of service since they know that they'll get their gratuities no matter what, but my fears turned out to be groundless. I hate to see the staff get stiffed, so I wouldn't mind RC adopting this model.

 

Purser's Desk - I know that various people have reported conflicts or dissatisfaction on RC, but my contacts have always been pleasant, and I have often struck up friendships with these people. Princess people were more business-like and not "warm". Not a complaint - an observation. I felt like I did get a few 'eye-rolls' when it took a few trips to get something resolved. (the ship's computer filters were blocking my posts to Cruise Critic!!!!!) Point to Royal Caribbean.

 

Venues - it FELT like there were more "places" - lounges, bars, hangouts - on the Crown Princess, even than on a Voyager class ship. Edge to Princess.

 

Main Theatre - not nearly large enough on Princess. There were OFTEN people standing in the aisles, and even then, people were turned away. BIG point to Royal Caribbean.

 

Smoking - I have almost never encountered a person smoking on a Royal Caribbean ship where s/he was not supposed to smoke. I know, I know - YOU have. But I haven't. I saw someone almost every day on the Crown Princess. (no, NOT the same person each time - it just happened about once a day!)

 

Tenders - Crown Princess uses its own lifeboats in Grand Cayman. That was ok, except that ours lost its engines. We almost didn't make it back to the ship. Took about 40 minutes, instead of about ten minutes. Bad omen. Brand new ship. Point to Royal Caribbean, for never putting us through that. :)

 

Elevators - most of the time, they came MUCH faster on Princess. Point to Princess. We usually walked, unless going MANY floors or wearing HEELS.

 

Fellow Passengers - pretty equivalent, type-wise. Fewer young people, PARTICULARLY *really* little ones, on Princess.

 

Specialty restaurants - we never got to Sabatini's - had reservations for final night - but everyone we knew who went to the Crown Grill RAVED about it. I think that CG is $25 and has some items that have an upcharge from THAT, and Sabatini's is $20. I'm sure that this would have been a draw.

 

All in all, I have to join the general chorus that says that Princess and Royal Caribbean are far more alike than they are different. I would happily cruise either again. I also know that my kids would have been somewhat less pleased. The age for beer and wine on RC is 18, and my daughter has been accustomed to that freedom. My son is looking forward to it. (I know that RC is in the process of altering this) On Princess, they strictly enforce 21 for any alcohol AND for the casino. For now, I am very happy with my perks on RC for being Diamond.

 

I am sure that I left out something hugely important, so ask away.

Well since you finally posted it, you know I have to respond to certain items.:D

 

Photographers were a SHADE less annoying on Princess. They had that damned Pirate with the Parrot, but instead of pestering you at your dining room table, he pestered you as you left the dining room. The good news: Nancy and I strangled the parrot, and made them take our picture like that.

 

I want to see the picture of you strangling the parrot. I've gotten pretty adept at avoiding the RCCL photographers.

 

Anytime dining - I tried it, I liked it, but I chalk that up to the company. I would have been perfectly happy in traditional dining. They were sticklers about checking to be sure that you weren't a traditional dining escapee eating in the anytime dining rooms. Since I was traveling without my kids (now 18 & 20), the time flexibility was nice, but my kids and I like to bond with our tablemates. Instead, I bonded with my CC group.

 

Did you notice a difference in the service or the feel?

 

Daily activities - nod to Princess here. Maybe I just missed them all in the RC Cruise Compass, but there seemed to be WAY more of the trivia game, game show type stuff on Princess. WAAAAAAAAAAAAAY more. I did Passenger Feud, Jeopardy, Princess Price is Almost Right, two or three trivia contests a day, Spelling Bee@Sea. I met LOTS of nice people and had a blast doing them. Princess PopStar may be hokey, but it's FUN, and Nancy was fantastic!

 

Okay, I know about Nancy and the singing, but I'm still thinking you were robbed on the spelling bee.

 

Food quality I would say that two main courses out of a total of 9 were just ok. One was my own fault - Nik TOLD me not to get it, but I ignored him.

 

I made the mistake of doing that once on an RCCL cruise as well. I've learned to listen to the waiters since then.

 

Cabin - point to Royal Caribbean. We were in a BB cabin, which in square footage is close to a Category E. The storage space and utilization of available space is so far superior on Royal Caribbean, it's a slam dunk. We visited in a mini-suite, and I feel that the JS on RC is superior to this layout also. (though I like the two flat-panel TVs in the Princess mini-suite)

 

Now the issue of storage may be the deal breaker for me as I'm a chronic overpacker (though slowly curing myself of that curse), and I usually travel with another female. We need room for the shoes alone.

 

Balcony - you have to choose your balcony very carefully on a Princess ship, because some of them are TOTALLY exposed to the decks above. It's much more of an issue of covered/non-covered. Point to Royal Caribbean.

 

So in other words if you like to do a little topless sunbathing or have friendly relations with somebody you really want to check which deck you are on.

 

Bars - Princess bartenders pour very carefully, using measuring glasses. You give them a look and flash cash, you can get a double, but you'll be charged the price of a double. On Royal Caribbean, that little maneuver will almost always get you plenty of free liquor. Disappointing, and BIG edge to Royal Caribbean.

 

Okay Carol, you know me, this would be a BIG problem for me.;)

 

Loungers - A chair hog is a chair hog is a chair hog. I think that they may have been a little worse on Princess, but once you get past a certain point, I'm not sure that it matters. The lounge chairs themselves are a little nicer, but the Crown Princess is only a month old. They were WAY too close together, however. Literally right up against one another. You had to "mount" it in order to lie down.

 

Yeah, but Princess' chair hogs are more creative in how they do it.

 

Beds - brand new, but not "special" on Princess. I hate the narrower-than-a-twin bed. I usually have it made up as a queen and share with my daughter, but Nancy and I decided to keep the beds apart. :D NOT COMFORTABLE AT ALL.

 

I think you would've been more uncomfortable if they'd been made up together.

 

Bathroom - except for storage, almost a draw. I'll give the edge to Royal Caribbean, though, for having detachable shower heads for spraying body parts more easily. Princess had fixed shower heads - and shower curtains, though curved outwards for less stick'um. Oh, Princess had little paper/cardboard shampoo, conditioner and lotion - beats the icky dispensers on RC, but I always take my own anyway.

 

Was there room to shave your legs in there?

 

Purser's Desk - I know that various people have reported conflicts or dissatisfaction on RC, but my contacts have always been pleasant, and I have often struck up friendships with these people. Princess people were more business-like and not "warm". Not a complaint - an observation. I felt like I did get a few 'eye-rolls' when it took a few trips to get something resolved. (the ship's computer filters were blocking my posts to Cruise Critic!!!!!) Point to Royal Caribbean.

 

And we were quite upset about the blocking because we could not read your Pearls of Wisdom.

 

Elevators - most of the time, they came MUCH faster on Princess. Point to Princess. We usually walked, unless going MANY floors or wearing HEELS.

 

Strangely I've learned to take an elevator when wearing heels as well.:D ;)

 

For now, I am very happy with my perks on RC for being Diamond.

 

Yeah, that free alcohol in the Concierge Lounge is hard to beat. Unless it's the NY Stevedores sneaking it into your luggage.

Well since you finally posted it, you know I have to respond to certain items.

 

I want to see the picture of you strangling the parrot. I've gotten pretty adept at avoiding the RCCL photographers.

Nancy has promised to scan and post.

 

Did you notice a difference in the service or the feel?

No, surprisingly. Some waiters are always better than others. I chalk that up to two factors: not everyone's a natural extrovert, and some are less fluent in English, making them less likely to talk much. I felt that the dining room service was just as good with their guaranteed tips as it is on RC when they are totally dependent on cultivating your goodwill throughout the cruise.

 

Okay, I know about Nancy and the singing, but I'm still thinking you were robbed on the spelling bee.

No doubt about it. :(

 

 

Now the issue of storage may be the deal breaker for me as I'm a chronic overpacker (though slowly curing myself of that curse), and I usually travel with another female. We need room for the shoes alone.

Good news! There's plenty of room under the hanging stuff for zillions of pairs of shoes.

 

So in other words if you like to do a little topless sunbathing or have friendly relations with somebody you really want to check which deck you are on.

You got it.

 

Okay Carol, you know me, this would be a BIG problem for me.

Yes, I had you in mind when I typed it. :D

 

Was there room to shave your legs in there?

Never shaved the whole cruise. THERE'S some good news that awaits you, Wrona. Eventually, your leg hair growth rate slows wwwwwwwwwaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaayyyyyyyyyyy down. ;)

 

And we were quite upset about the blocking because we could not read your Pearls of Wisdom.

And I appreciate and shared your frustration. :)

 

Strangely I've learned to take an elevator when wearing heels as well.

I am glad to hear of your steep learning curve. :D

 

Yeah, that free alcohol in the Concierge Lounge is hard to beat. Unless it's the NY Stevedores sneaking it into your luggage.

It's a great perk, one of many. <sigh>

No, surprisingly. Some waiters are always better than others. I chalk that up to two factors: not everyone's a natural extrovert, and some are less fluent in English, making them less likely to talk much. I felt that the dining room service was just as good with their guaranteed tips as it is on RC when they are totally dependent on cultivating your goodwill throughout the cruise.

 

Glad to hear it as that is something I've always wondered about and I haven't seen many reviews that specifically address that issue.

 

Good news! There's plenty of room under the hanging stuff for zillions of pairs of shoes.

 

Whew, I was worried there for a second. You know me and shoes.

 

Never shaved the whole cruise. THERE'S some good news that awaits you, Wrona. Eventually, your leg hair growth rate slows wwwwwwwwwaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaayyyyyyyyyyy down. ;)

 

I sure hope you're right. It's a little hard trying to shave your legs in those small bathrooms when the ship is rocking and rolling.

 

I am glad to hear of your steep learning curve. :D

 

I wouldn't exactly call the stairwell between deck 6 and 5 on the Brilliance steep. Luckily it is short.;)

I really appreciate this comparision because the next cruise I will book will probably go out of Galveston which will be a choice between RCI and Princess, maaaybe Carnival.

 

Couple of areas I would like to hear about:

 

Workout Equipment

Fitness program

Walking area, Walking program

Did MUTS actually take the place of any activity, were people still able to enjoy a quite stroll outside at night? I love to stargaze. Did they have movies in a regular indoor theater?

Were you diplomatic and skip the dress code issue?

Hamburgers and outdoor grill?

Noise level - outside and inside? Recorded music anywhere? What type of music?

 

Thanks in advance!

I'm not usually a fan of comparison reviews but this one was great.

 

I love MUTS...

 

I wish RCI had been able to buy Princess. Oh well...

Carol thanks for the comparison review. I have looked at Princess lately and was even thinking about booking them in place of the Freedom for next year but I am so happy with the RCI experience that it is hard to leave them to try Princess and after reading your review I think that I made the right choice. Princess sounds like a nice line but some of the things are not for me.

An excellent point by point comparison which very closely matches our experience on Sapphire Princess. I especially agree with you about the wider variety of participatory games on Princess. We enjoyed their versions of Jeopardy, Family Feud etc. as well as the typical trivia contests. RCI would do well to expand their options in this area.

 

One question: Did you notice if Crown Princess has added interactive tv? Sapphire Princess didn't have it, and when I inquired, I was actually told that Princess wanted to encourage more interaction between the guests and the ship's staff, which wouldn't occur if guests could check their onboard accounts on their TVs.:rolleyes:

 

One other point about the uncovered balconies is that if anything falls or is thrown off the covered balconies on Aloha or Baja decks, they will land directly on the uncovered lower deck balconies.:o

 

I agree with you that the cruise experience on both lines is far more similar than different and most people could cruise either line without serious concerns that they won't enjoy themselves.

Hi Carol..Excellent perspective...Thanks...I keep wanting to go on the Grand while it is so close...But have not been able to 'wean" myself yet:D

 

One comment.I am not sure about all the ships,and I could not find it on Mariner.But on the Rhapsody,in the Solarium,there is a button that causes the pool to be a "resistance" type.It is very cool...

 

Now.I have only heard a rumor that there is a button..I have never seen a button,and have I ever been in the Solarium when the "resistance" was not on...But I would think this is comparable to what the have in the Lotus.

Great comparison posting Carol. We've not strayed from RCI but would seriously consider this ship, (sans the listing) with the positive points both you and Nancy have noted. Like you, we are happy with the perks on RCI and those are hard to give up when going to another line.

Thanks for the great comparison Carol. We have cruised 19 times; 6 Princess, 4 RCCL (though not within the last 6 years), and 9 times on various other lines. The one exercise that I like about Princess is that Muster Drills are held in lounges and NOT on deck. Hate standing out in the hot sun for Muster Drills.

 

Will be returning to RCCL in February after a long absence. Sailing Vision's Mexican Rivera itinerary. We were a little hesitant to switch back since we enjoy a lot of things Princess has to offer. Your review helps alleviate any anxiety I had.

Carol - Looks like you found about the same thing that I did. The lines are more similar than they are different. If you like sailing on one line you should have an equally good time on the other.

Photographers were a SHADE less annoying on Princess. They had that damned Pirate with the Parrot, but instead of pestering you at your dining room table, he pestered you as you left the dining room.

I've gotten pretty adept at avoiding the RCCL photographers.

I had no trouble with the photographers on the Explorer 6/2... bypassed the boarding photo... just said no, thanks at each of the ports and kept walking... saw the pirate in the dining room but he never came to our table... only photo I'm in is one taken of our dinner table group on the second formal night... (oh, and the group photo of our travelling group of 50 that we arranged to have taken)

And I can't wait to see the picture of Carol & Nancy strangling the parrot!

Carol~~

 

Thank you very much for the most excellent comparison between the two lines; until RCI branches out much more, DBF and I will need to sail on Princess or HAL in order to get around Asia....

 

 

One comment.I am not sure about all the ships,and I could not find it on Mariner.But on the Rhapsody,in the Solarium,there is a button that causes the pool to be a "resistance" type.It is very cool...

 

Now.I have only heard a rumor that there is a button..I have never seen a button,and have I ever been in the Solarium when the "resistance" was not on...But I would think this is comparable to what the have in the Lotus.

 

On the Radiance class vessels, the Solariuim Pools have a very powerful swim-against-the-current feature. Whenever we sail on those ships, we ask the pool attendant to make a phone call to engineering to turn it on, (but they don't seem to leave it on for more than an hour or so). There are some minor controls there at the head of the pool under the little bridge, but the main machine needs to be turned on by the engineering staff.

 

Leslie

Carol~~

 

On the Radiance class vessels, the Solariuim Pools have a very powerful swim-against-the-current feature. Whenever we sail on those ships, we ask the pool attendant to make a phone call to engineering to turn it on, (but they don't seem to leave it on for more than an hour or so). There are some minor controls there at the head of the pool under the little bridge, but the main machine needs to be turned on by the engineering staff.

 

Leslie

 

Oh...very interesting...Thanks...

I cruised on the Crown July2-11, 2006 ( 1st time cruising with Princess) and was not very impressed! I have cruised Royal Carribean 14 times (diamond member) 2 times on Celebrity, 1 Carnival, and 2 Holland America.

 

Food- I feel the selection is limited ( including deserts) and didn't find it as good tasting as RC. I am not a person that eats a lot, but I do enjoy good meals! The Lobster on Princess was not very tasty and the 2 tails we did get were very small. Both Cruiselines offer extras if wanted! Princess does not have a Midnight BUFFET at all! RC does ! Rc gets the pts for this one.

 

Bars- Both ships have many and I am a Social Drinker ( had 4 total alcohol drinks on a 9 day cruise) so I can not comment on this aspect.

 

Cabin- I must of had the cabin that never was completed when the ship was built. We paid for a triple , balcony cabin and we received a balcony cabin with no third berth. Since the ship was fully booked ( plus the fact we were with friends who had trip cabins on either side of us) there wasn't any other alternative but to accept a rollaway cot. The cot was placed in FRONT of the Balcony door( which mad it very hard to utilize the balcony after 10 pm-10am) and that is not what I paid for. Next we had no air conditioning at all the entire 9 days( woke up ring and wet, and after showering the same) and the fride did not work at all for 9 days. Not to mention the blow dryer broke after the 3rd day on the ship. I feel all of the above issues put a damper on this Cruise. RC gets the pts for this too.

 

Entertainment- The main theater on P is way too small for the amount of people the ship holds. I found the commedian shows to be good, the singer and dancer shows I did not enjoy at all ( my friend who was along her granddaughter competes in Las Vegas& New York dancing and got a good LAUGH out of them). RC shows seem to be more corregraphed, and costumes are way nicer. RC gets all the pts in this category.

 

Beds- Princess has way better beds. The Duvets were very comfortable and seemed even larger than RC bed. Princess gets the pts for this.

 

Shops- I didn't think the shops on Princess( only a few shops) had much of a variety. The Promenade Shops on RC are the way to go.

 

Pools- I am a sun worshiper, and can fit in on either Ships pool area. I don't mind kids, teens, noise, etc. If I wanted to be in a secluded area I wouldn't vacation with 3000 people! No pts to either Cruiseline

 

Service- The cabin steward was very nice and tried to go out of his way to accomadate us, since he was aware of all the problems we encountered with the cabin. He brought 3 ice buckets each day for us to try to cool our drinks ( since the fridge wasn't working) he also gave us extra toiletries ( which I only use my own brands) to make up for the above problem. He went above his daily duties to try to accomadate us.

 

Dining Service- We ate second seating, and I find RC is more personal with the pax ( they ask your name and know it the next time you go to eat) Princess did not ( and maybe it is not a tradition for them). RC knows what you drink at each seating and Princess does not follow that personal touch either. Their were nites we waited until after our salads until our drinks came ( not bar drinks, just normal ice tea and soda beverages) and if we needed refills had to ask. Rc gets the pts here also.

 

Elevators- We waited sometime 10 minutes for an elevator on Princess and the aft elevators only take you to certain floors. Never encountered this problem on RC. Rc gets these pts.

 

Purser's Desk- It was packed with complaints all the time. People being charged on sea passes for items they didn't purchase ( found that on the pool deck, waiters don't take your sea pass, just jot down # and when they input the # it caused errors) all sorts of complaints with amenities in cabins. I discussed my issues with the Purser desk and they never were resolved. They need to retrain in Customer Service. RC gets the pts here.

 

Muts- Many pax seemed to be enjoying it. I personally did not view any movies. Could take it or leave it....

 

Casino- They all take your money , so I donate to all of them since i'm a gambler. we had an extra sea day ( due to missing our 1st port) so I spent more time than usual in the Casino. They were about equal in my opinion.

 

Overall, I rate RC way above Princess. I am always eager to try new Cruiselines but I have yet to find one that I like better than RC.

Carol, thanks for the very impressive comparison.

 

A point for Princess-Muster drills are done inside. Last time I was on RCCL, they were not. Hate to stand out in the sun while I do muster drills.

I cruised on the Crown July2-11, 2006 ( 1st time cruising with Princess) and was not very impressed! I have cruised Royal Carribean 14 times (diamond member) 2 times on Celebrity, 1 Carnival, and 2 Holland America.

 

Food- I feel the selection is limited ( including deserts) and didn't find it as good tasting as RC. I am not a person that eats a lot, but I do enjoy good meals! The Lobster on Princess was not very tasty and the 2 tails we did get were very small. Both Cruiselines offer extras if wanted! Princess does not have a Midnight BUFFET at all! RC does ! Rc gets the pts for this one.

 

Bars- Both ships have many and I am a Social Drinker ( had 4 total alcohol drinks on a 9 day cruise) so I can not comment on this aspect.

 

Cabin- I must of had the cabin that never was completed when the ship was built. We paid for a triple , balcony cabin and we received a balcony cabin with no third berth. Since the ship was fully booked ( plus the fact we were with friends who had trip cabins on either side of us) there wasn't any other alternative but to accept a rollaway cot. The cot was placed in FRONT of the Balcony door( which mad it very hard to utilize the balcony after 10 pm-10am) and that is not what I paid for. Next we had no air conditioning at all the entire 9 days( woke up ring and wet, and after showering the same) and the fride did not work at all for 9 days. Not to mention the blow dryer broke after the 3rd day on the ship. I feel all of the above issues put a damper on this Cruise. RC gets the pts for this too.

 

Entertainment- The main theater on P is way too small for the amount of people the ship holds. I found the commedian shows to be good, the singer and dancer shows I did not enjoy at all ( my friend who was along her granddaughter competes in Las Vegas& New York dancing and got a good LAUGH out of them). RC shows seem to be more corregraphed, and costumes are way nicer. RC gets all the pts in this category.

 

Beds- Princess has way better beds. The Duvets were very comfortable and seemed even larger than RC bed. Princess gets the pts for this.

 

Shops- I didn't think the shops on Princess( only a few shops) had much of a variety. The Promenade Shops on RC are the way to go.

 

Pools- I am a sun worshiper, and can fit in on either Ships pool area. I don't mind kids, teens, noise, etc. If I wanted to be in a secluded area I wouldn't vacation with 3000 people! No pts to either Cruiseline

 

Service- The cabin steward was very nice and tried to go out of his way to accomadate us, since he was aware of all the problems we encountered with the cabin. He brought 3 ice buckets each day for us to try to cool our drinks ( since the fridge wasn't working) he also gave us extra toiletries ( which I only use my own brands) to make up for the above problem. He went above his daily duties to try to accomadate us.

 

Dining Service- We ate second seating, and I find RC is more personal with the pax ( they ask your name and know it the next time you go to eat) Princess did not ( and maybe it is not a tradition for them). RC knows what you drink at each seating and Princess does not follow that personal touch either. Their were nites we waited until after our salads until our drinks came ( not bar drinks, just normal ice tea and soda beverages) and if we needed refills had to ask. Rc gets the pts here also.

 

Elevators- We waited sometime 10 minutes for an elevator on Princess and the aft elevators only take you to certain floors. Never encountered this problem on RC. Rc gets these pts.

 

Purser's Desk- It was packed with complaints all the time. People being charged on sea passes for items they didn't purchase ( found that on the pool deck, waiters don't take your sea pass, just jot down # and when they input the # it caused errors) all sorts of complaints with amenities in cabins. I discussed my issues with the Purser desk and they never were resolved. They need to retrain in Customer Service. RC gets the pts here.

 

Muts- Many pax seemed to be enjoying it. I personally did not view any movies. Could take it or leave it....

 

Casino- They all take your money , so I donate to all of them since i'm a gambler. we had an extra sea day ( due to missing our 1st port) so I spent more time than usual in the Casino. They were about equal in my opinion.

 

Overall, I rate RC way above Princess. I am always eager to try new Cruiselines but I have yet to find one that I like better than RC.

 

***********

Like you, I have sailed many cruises on different lines. I have enjoyed every cruise, some more than others,. I can honestly say that I have never had a bad experience. I am sorry that your Princess experience was not as enjoyable as other cruises you have been on with other lines. I do feel however, that your observation of the line was a little unforgiving. After all, you sailed on a ship that barely has its feet wet in the water. And, since this was your first Princess cruise, you really didn't have a seasoned vessel to compare it to. Can anyone honestly say that a new ship sails without hitches for the first couple of months it is sailing? I don't think so. I have been a member of this board for quite a while. I have seen many tales of woe from people that have sailed new ships. Did that stop them from returning, no. I think when making a reference to a ship one needs to be sensitive to the fact that a new ship will not be perfect. Give it time and Princess another chance. I did with RCCL, and I am glad that I did.

A lot of good points here, but I'll stick with the line whose ships don't burst into flames or roll over on their sides!

 

Sovereign of the Seas 2002

Voyager of the Seas 2003

Mariner of the Seas 2004

Radiance of the Seas 4/2006

Sovereign of the Seas 1/29/2007

I wish RCI had been able to buy Princess. Oh well...

 

New cruise line.... Royal Princess of the Caribbean Cruises

 

Thanks Carol. Good review. I'm tempted but I got to make Platinum status. :D

A lot of good points here, but I'll stick with the line whose ships don't burst into flames or roll over on their sides!

 

Sovereign of the Seas 2002

Voyager of the Seas 2003

Mariner of the Seas 2004

Radiance of the Seas 4/2006

Sovereign of the Seas 1/29/2007

 

Now now, RCI has had their share of problems. George Smith, teenage drinking, the captain who banged up Grandeur...

A lot of good points here, but I'll stick with the line whose ships don't burst into flames or roll over on their sides!

 

Sovereign of the Seas 2002

Voyager of the Seas 2003

Mariner of the Seas 2004

Radiance of the Seas 4/2006

Sovereign of the Seas 1/29/2007

 

I can understand your thinking. My following comment is not meant to debate your statement, but just express my thoughts. Don't you think all cruise lines have some drama associated with them? A young honeymooner was killed while on board a RCCL ship. A young girl went missing while sailing on RCCL. I have friends who consider these two incidents more disturbing than what happened on Princess. Carnival has had fires. Celebrity has had mechanical difficulities. If one lookes hard enough, there are enough problems to go around. We cruise where we feel most comfortable and that is a good thing. But certainly, no line can cast the first stone.

Couple of areas I would like to hear about:

 

Workout Equipment

Never got there - would you believe that it was on my agenda for our final sea day? ;) People who mentioned it liked it, until everything started falling over and water was rushing in. :D

Fitness program

Walking area, Walking program

Lots of places to walk and run - people often violated the rules about where they should be doing these things. (The rules that are in place to keep thudding feet from annoying everyone else) No official "program" as I recall.

Did MUTS actually take the place of any activity, were people still able to enjoy a quite stroll outside at night? I love to stargaze. Did they have movies in a regular indoor theater?

MUTS is the only movie venue on the ship, unless you count your TV. And there are movies on TV, of course. Stargaze away - the outside decks are large, and you can easily avoid the MUTS area. MUTS is all day long, not just at night. They show standard movies, concert films, and a few newer movies. As I am sure you have heard, the scheduled 11:45 P.M. movie last Tuesday night WAS "Titanic". (I asked Jacinta of the CD's staff if anyone was fired for thinking that showing this film on a cruise ship was a good idea)

Were you diplomatic and skip the dress code issue?

Me? Diplomatic? I don't THINK so. I forgot to write about it.

 

Ok, dress: In general, it felt like more people, percentage-wise, dressed up and tried to make an occasion out of dinner. There were lots, however, who did whatever they pleased. Unlike RC, it actually states "no jeans at dinner in the dining room" in the Patter. It DOES NOT say this, however, on the signs just outside the dining rooms. That sign says "no shorts or t-shirts at dinner". Ignoring the final night of insanity, where there were people in formal attire and people in sweatshorts, etc., there were several instances when we saw shorts and jeans and t-shirts (not "nice" t-shirts) in the main dining rooms. (ok, MORE than SEVERAL) It didn't bother me at all, but it was there.

 

Oh, disgusting bare-chested guys in buffet. Several of them. ICK ICK ICK

Hamburgers and outdoor grill?

Excellent on Princess - except for my service issue. You know, I don't think that I ever got food from the outdoor grills on any of my RC cruises..........always grabbed from the Windjammer.

Noise level - outside and inside? Recorded music anywhere? What type of music?

Live music by the Neptune Pool. It was fine. On the loud side, but it was outside, so I expect that. No recorded music hanging around the ship.

One question: Did you notice if Crown Princess has added interactive tv? Sapphire Princess didn't have it, and when I inquired, I was actually told that Princess wanted to encourage more interaction between the guests and the ship's staff, which wouldn't occur if guests could check their onboard accounts on their TVs.:rolleyes:

 

One other point about the uncovered balconies is that if anything falls or is thrown off the covered balconies on Aloha or Baja decks, they will land directly on the uncovered lower deck balconies.:o

 

I agree with you that the cruise experience on both lines is far more similar than different and most people could cruise either line without serious concerns that they won't enjoy themselves.

Thanks, Bill - another good point that I forgot to mention. :)

 

NO INTERACTIVE TV. Given that it's 2006, I can't understand ANY cruiseline NOT installing this feature on every ship being built. Their lame reasoning is ABSURD. DOUBLE EYEROLL!

 

Yes, our friends found a pack of cigarettes on their balcony one morning, and one day a woman leaned over and asked them, "Have you seen my husband's wedding ring?" Al wanted to know if she just wanted the ring, or was missing her entire husband, too...............:D

Thanks for the great comparison Carol. We have cruised 19 times; 6 Princess, 4 RCCL (though not within the last 6 years), and 9 times on various other lines. The one exercise that I like about Princess is that Muster Drills are held in lounges and NOT on deck. Hate standing out in the hot sun for Muster Drills.

 

Will be returning to RCCL in February after a long absence. Sailing Vision's Mexican Rivera itinerary. We were a little hesitant to switch back since we enjoy a lot of things Princess has to offer. Your review helps alleviate any anxiety I had.

As far as the Muster Drill being held inside is concerned............

 

I have mixed feelings about this. Sure, it was pleasant to sit inside an airconditioned lounge, no lifejacket on, while a recorded video safety message plays, followed by an audio announcement by the Captain, BUT...............

 

During the list, I immediately thought, "if this were an abandon-ship emergency, no one has the SLIGHTEST idea of where to go or what to do."

 

I vote for Royal Caribbean's method, when all is said and done.