Portofino vs Sabatinis? CocoCay vs Princess Cay?

[nschille04]

Hello,

 

My husband and I are very excited to be sailing on the Freedom of the Seas in April! We went on a cruise for our honeymoon last year and it was amazing. Last time, we went Princess so that really is our only means of comparison for cruises.

 

So, we loved Sabatinis on Princess and I'm just wondering if Portofino is similar. Any insight into this would be greatly appreciated.

 

We were also big fans of Princess Cay. It was great to go snorkeling and just lounge around. How does Coco Cay compare? Are they pretty much the same idea? Is the snorkeling better at one than the other?

 

We are so looking forward to the trip and would appreciate any advice that you can offer. When we went on our honeymoon someone on Cruise Critic recommended Captain Nautica and it turned out to be one of our favorite experiences, so I really value the feedback I get back from you more experienced cruisers!

[bigeagle12]

We have sailed both Royal and Princess and although we prefer Royal (mainly because of the Voyager class ships) we would do either again in a heartbeat.

To answer your questions Coco Cay and Princess Cay are comparable. Sabatinnis and Portofinos used to be equally as good. However reading recent reviews on this site it appears that the quality of Portofinos may have declined. But then food reviews on here ae always subjective.

Here is just a quick comparison (our opinion) of the 2:

 

Embarkation - equal

Disembarkation - advantage Princess

Muster Drill - advantage Princess

Food - slight advantage to Princess - little better quality and more variety

Dining Room (service) - equal

Dining Room (decor) - advantage Royal

Cabins - advantage Princess - bigger closet - better layout

Entertainment - equal

Ship (Promenade vs Atrium) - advantage Royal

Casino - advantage Royal

Service (Dining Room) - equal

Service (Windjammer vs Caribe) - advantage Royal

Service (cabin) - equal

Johnny Rockets vs Trident Grill - advantage Princess (free)

Movies Under the Stars (MUTS) - advantage Princess

Promenade Cafe vs International Cafe - advantage Princess

Pizza - advantage Princess

Bars/Lounges - advantage Princess

Onboard Activities - advantage Royal

[bmccarthy]

I have been on 5 cruises, 4 on Royal and my last one was on Princess. I enjoyed both CocoCay and Princess Cays. Both are nice beach days with an island bbq lunch. I thought that sand was softer at CocoCay and didn't have to step on a bunch of rocks to enter the water.

 

I haven't been on anything bigger than a Voyager class ship, but am looking at the Freedom for next year. Overall I enjoyed my Royal Caribbean cruises better than Princess. However, if the price and itinerary were right, I would probably cruise Princess again.

 

Enjoy your cruise!

Beth

[nschille04]

Thanks for the replies! Is Portofino the same style as Sabatinis, where you select an entre and they just bring you a little of everything for appetizers?

[bigeagle12]

Thanks for the replies! Is Portofino the same style as Sabatinis, where you select an entre and they just bring you a little of everything for appetizers?

 

Yes

[nschille04]

Thanks!

[sargenet]

Thank you for asking this question. The only specialty restaurant I have ever been to was Sabatinis when I sailed Princess. I took a break from cruising for a few years till my son got older. We are finally cruising again on Saturday and we have both Portofino and Chops booked. My husband is more interested in Chops...but I remembered how wonderful I thought Sabatinas was and was hoping it provided a similar experience!

[nschille04]

I hope so. We had such a wonderful time at Sabatini's.